Mentoring Relationships from the Perspective of the Mentor

Abstract

In his classic study of the career development of men, mentoring others was cited by Levinson (1978) as a key developmental task for individuals in midcareer. Other career development researchers recognized that mentoring relationships were beneficial to both the mentor and to the protege (Clawson, 1980; Dalton, Thompson, & Price, 1977; Hunt & Michael, 1983). Kram’s (1985) groundbreaking research concerning developmental mentoring relationships at work emphasized the mutuality and reciprocity of mentoring relationships. As such, it is surprising that historically, the majority of empirical research has focused on the protege, with much less attention concentrated on the mentor. However, during the past decade, this oversight has started to be addressed as research from the mentor’s perspective has begun to flourish. Research dedicated to understanding mentorship dynamics from the focal point of the mentor is important for both theoretical and practical reasons. A mentoring relationship is an inherently dyadic and complex process, with the mentor and the protege each enacting different roles and responsibilities in the relationship. The success of any mentorship is contingent on the behaviors of both the mentor and the protege. Accordingly, neglect of the issues unique to the role of the mentor leaves a critical gap in our understanding of the overall mentorship process and hampers theoretical development of the field. From a practice perspective, mentors play a key role in organizations as they ensure the transfer and continuation of knowledge and help prepare junior colleagues for further organizational responsibility (Kram & Hall, 1996). Moreover, high-quality and committed mentors are