INTRODUCTION: The use of executive coaching has become increasingly popular in the organizational world in the past few decades and is considered a key intervention that increases the capabilities of managers at the professional, individual, and organizational levels. This study aimed to identify the indicators, components, and dimensions of the effectiveness of executive coaching in the Red Crescent Society of Iran. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted based on an applied research method. The required data were collected using exploratory interviews with 20 experts and activists in the field of human resources education. The obtained data were then analyzed using conventional content analysis, as well as open, axial, and selective coding strategies. FINDINGS: According to the findings of the research, orientation, sociability, regularity, empowerment, personality traits, and infrastructure conditions are among the most important factors affecting executive coaching in the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Moreover, two new constructs, namely formal and informal institutions were identified for the first time in the coaching literature as effective factors in the development of executive coaching. CONCLUSION: This study paved the way for filling in some gaps in executive coaching literature. Unlike many previously conducted studies that have only evaluated the effectiveness of executive coaching, this study identified the set of factors related to the individual, organizational, and institutional levels, as well as infrastructural conditions affecting executive coaching. Moreover, the results led to the addition of two new constructs, such as formal and informal institutions, to the literature on coaching in general and executive coaching in particular.
