Mentoring in undergraduate business management programmes

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the role and contribution of mentoring in the context of a degree programme in which students spend their second and third years in‐company. As well as describing the process within the context of the degree, the paper examines the particular mentoring design features. Of specific interest is the shared mentoring role of academic members of staff and in‐company managers, and the variety of roles adopted by each of them, including coacher, facilitator, networker, counsellor. In addition, the mentors share a role in assessing students’ work in relation to their skills development, focusing on transferable skills, namely: communication, teamworking, adaptability and leadership. This paper draws upon findings of primary research conducted with the mentoring teams that exist within the wide range of consortium companies that sponsor the second and third years of the degree programme and Nottingham Business School. The paper reports the perceived benefits of such a mentoring process for academic and practitioners working in partnership to support and enhance the students’ learning experience.

Citation

Stewart, J. and Knowles, V. (2003), "Mentoring in undergraduate business management programmes", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 27 No. 2/3/4, pp. 147-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590310468967