Gender, Mentoring Experiences, and Salary Attainment among Graduates of an Historically Black University

Abstract

The effects of gender and the development of mentoring relationships on salary attainment were examined among African-American graduates of an historically black institution of higher education. After controlling for a series of background, career, and organizational factors, there were no gender-based pay differences, and only those who had established mentoring relationships with white-male mentors displayed compensation advantages over graduates who had never formed mentoring relationships. These results are comparable to findings reported for majority and minority graduates of majority-culture schools of business and have implications concerning the ways in which companies and individuals work to maximize career potential.