A Model of Reverse Coaching in Start-up Businesses through Improving Human Resources Skill Gap

In today's era, human resources are an integral part of various organizations, businesses and industries on their way toward their goals. With the advent of growing start-up and online businesses, competition in this field have increased and there is a need for such businesses to adapt, harmonize and synchronize employees with the latest level of skills, innovations and technologies available internationally. This seeks to fill in the employees’ skill gap. And reverse coaching is one of the potential tools provided to speed up and facilitate it. In the same line, this article aims to present a model of reverse coaching in start-up businesses with the approach of improving the skill gap of human resources. In terms of the research approach, the qualitative method, especially the foundational data theory method, was used. First, the researcher prepared an interview protocol based on the dimensions and components obtained from the theoretical foundations and background of the research, and then through the data theory method of the foundation, 15 managers, entrepreneurs and owners of start-up businesses were interviewed. These 15 individuals were selected purposefully until reaching theoretical saturation. The results of the research showed that the causal variables fall into two main categories, including managerial and organizational arrangements. Background variables include two categories of information and communication infrastructure development and strategic analysis of the business space. The key variables include the categories of coaching, improving the skill gap; intervening variables include the category of positive stimuli, controlling stimuli and negative stimuli; strategic variables include individual creativity, extending justice and negation of discrimination, participation-oriented in the organization and organizational knowledge management, and outcome variables include arming creative employees, being equipped with efficient and safe systems, and becoming a learning organization.