Search results
21 – 30 of over 17000Terri A. Scandura, Manuel J. Tejeda, William B. Werther and Melenie J. Lankau
Explores perspectives on mentoring, including the mentor, the protégé and the organization. Emphasizes key benefits to each of these parties. Addresses the question of why mentors…
Abstract
Explores perspectives on mentoring, including the mentor, the protégé and the organization. Emphasizes key benefits to each of these parties. Addresses the question of why mentors engage in mentoring. Discusses the role of leadership in the development of leader‐supported mentoring processes.
Details
Keywords
Presents an integrative literature review in which the subject ofthe review was recent research on mentoring as part of the professionaldevelopment of educational leaders. It was…
Abstract
Presents an integrative literature review in which the subject of the review was recent research on mentoring as part of the professional development of educational leaders. It was discovered that research foci and methodologies are limited. Suggestions are provided for the improvement of future research.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to give an introduction to the definition and learning process of mentoring, a structured overview of the value of mentoring for mentees, mentors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to give an introduction to the definition and learning process of mentoring, a structured overview of the value of mentoring for mentees, mentors, organisations and society, as well as present the key element for designing and implementing successful mentoring programmes that gives full value to all stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
The article is based on more than ten years' experience in working with mentoring programmes, designing and delivering mentoring programmes in an organisational context, on studying research done by other scholars and consultants as well as on the knowledge developed through the Mentor+ Survey – a survey tool for evaluating mentoring programmes.
Findings
It is found that the potential for learning for mentors, organisations and even society is still not fully understood by organisations implementing mentoring programmes – and thus the value of mentoring programmes is still not fully appreciated and achieved, even for mentees.
Originality/value
This article is of value to HR professionals and managers who wish to use mentoring programmes to enhance the learning capacity of people and organisations, instead of as just a tool for knowledge transfer.
Details
Keywords
Mandi MacDonald, Andrew Dellis, Shanaaz Mathews and Jenna-Lee Marco
This paper aims to describe the challenges and potential benefits of moving a mentoring programme for young people in care and care leavers to an online mode of delivery in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the challenges and potential benefits of moving a mentoring programme for young people in care and care leavers to an online mode of delivery in response to the South African Government’s efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19.
Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive account incorporating reflections from staff responsible for the move to e-mentoring and from South African and UK researchers undertaking an exploratory study of mentoring vulnerable youth at the time when COVID-19 restrictions were imposed.
Findings
E-mentoring can provide an effective means to maintaining the essential elements of a well-established mentoring programme for young people in care and care leavers under government enforced “lock-down”. E-mentoring presents particular challenges and benefits in the South African context. Youth in care and care leavers have unequal access to a digital infrastructure, but this can be overcome by investment in resourcing, equipping and training carers, mentors and mentees. The geographical reach offered by online platforms gives young people access to a more diverse pool of mentors.
Originality/value
Both care leaving services and the use of e-mentoring to meet the needs of vulnerable young people are emerging areas of practice and research interest. This paper brings the two areas together in the context of South Africa under COVID-19 “lock-down” through describing the response of one mentoring programme and highlighting the benefits and challenges.
Details
Keywords
This article aims to contribute to a clearer understanding of the importance of mentor preparation and provide recommendations for effective mentor preparation programmes based on…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to contribute to a clearer understanding of the importance of mentor preparation and provide recommendations for effective mentor preparation programmes based on the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
A narrative review of a range of literature focussing on the importance and characteristics of effective mentor practice and preparation.
Findings
Many mentors working in educational contexts lack adequate preparation, and a shift in mentoring practice from a mentor as expert approach, which mentors are likely revert to without training, to a more collaborative relationship in line with educative mentoring is recommended. Relationship building, working collaboratively and encouraging critical reflection are essential mentoring capabilities, and can be supported by participation in effective mentoring preparation programmes. Characteristics of these programmes include: providing time for mentors to reflect on their personal capabilities and attitudes; strengthening their knowledge about mentoring and learning a range of approaches and tools.
Practical implications
Implications for mentor preparation include consideration of curricula that focus on the nature of effective mentoring relationships, provision of effective observation-based feedback and the facilitation of critical reflection. Blended learning models appear to have potential and organisational leaders need to recognise and value mentoring to ensure that it is prioritised.
Originality/value
This article makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the nature of effective mentor preparation programmes.
Details
Keywords
The developmental relation of informal mentoring within the organization could aid in tiding over the challenges that arise with change. The purpose is to explore the…
Abstract
Purpose
The developmental relation of informal mentoring within the organization could aid in tiding over the challenges that arise with change. The purpose is to explore the relationship between informal mentoring within the organization and change supportive behaviour to put forth a framework describing the catalytic and a priori role of informal mentoring within the organization in augmenting change readiness and facilitating change supportive behaviour for a successful organizational change.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the appraisal theory of stress coping, the paper put forward a conceptual framework describing the mechanisms through which informal mentoring within the organization leads to change supportive behaviour among the individuals.
Findings
The conceptual model explains how informal mentoring within the organization develops optimism, resilience, self-efficacy and trust and facilitates change readiness among the individuals, which leads to change supportive behaviours in them. The paper also describes the influence of poor change management history and organizational identity threat on the relations.
Research limitations/implications
The paper explains the underexplored relationship between mentoring and change readiness. It also sheds light on the importance of exploring the micro-foundations of a macro-level phenomenon. Further research should focus on the differential effect of different forms of mentoring on change readiness.
Originality/value
The paper is developed based on the review of extant literature and applying the theoretical lens of appraisal theory of stress coping to the phenomenon. The paper explains the micro-foundation of the phenomenon and describes how informal mentoring would lead to a change supportive behaviour among the individuals.
Details
Keywords
Anne Margrethe Glømmen, Beate Brevik Sæthern and Rikard Eriksson
This study aimed to identify and describe how mentoring influences the mentor, by operationalising and specifying learning outcomes involved in mentoring.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to identify and describe how mentoring influences the mentor, by operationalising and specifying learning outcomes involved in mentoring.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an action research approach, by uniting theory and practice to explore new ways of learning and evolve the field of practice in education. Thematic analysis was used to identify and organise patterns or themes that emerged from the data.
Findings
The results showed that mentoring changed the mentors' perspectives towards improved understanding, more flexibility and approval of other cultures. It seems that mentoring expanded the mentors' search for values, wishes and resources, including an awareness that our values, wishes and needs are more similar than different. Mentoring also seems to have improved the ability to reformulate, be flexible, strive to optimise user engagement and engage with people as they are, based on their own prerequisites.
Research limitations/implications
The low number of participants means the results cannot be generalised, and voluntary participation may have led to more motivated involvement and positive results.
Practical implications
This study shows that mentoring has had an impact on students' development of intercultural competence and cultural sensitivity through regular meetings with individuals from a different cultural background. Mentoring seems to have revealed insights into underlying prejudices and changed perspectives towards better understanding, thus increased acceptance of other cultures.
Originality/value
Search for similar studies shows a lack of research that operationalises and specifies the learning outcomes that mentors gain from being a mentor.
Details
Keywords
Ryan Musselman and William J. Becker
This paper utilizes generativity to explore the relationship between mentoring support and organizational identification, turnover intention and reciprocated mentoring in protégés.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper utilizes generativity to explore the relationship between mentoring support and organizational identification, turnover intention and reciprocated mentoring in protégés.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper used a cross-sectional design with surveys administered to 351 working adults in the USA to test the hypotheses on the relationship between mentoring and turnover intention through organizational identification with first-stage moderation of generativity.
Findings
Employees who were high in generativity, mentoring support was positively associated with organizational identification and negatively associated with turnover intentions. Generativity was also positively related to reciprocated mentoring through the choice to mentor others, the number of mentees and the mentoring support provided.
Practical implications
The authors' results suggest organizations receive the greatest benefits when providing mentoring support to generative employees.
Originality/value
This study applies generativity to the context of mentoring by exploring the impact of mentoring support on identification with the organization, turnover intentions and willingness to mentor others by comparing the conditional effects of high generativity versus low generativity.
Details
Keywords
Katharina Prummer, Salomé Human-Vogel and Daniel Pittich
The South African vocational education and training (VET) sector is required by legislation to redefine postsecondary education, advance industrialisation and expand the job…
Abstract
Purpose
The South African vocational education and training (VET) sector is required by legislation to redefine postsecondary education, advance industrialisation and expand the job market to address unemployment in the country. Yet, VET leaders' heterogenous educational and occupational backgrounds do not enable them to address the needs of the VET sector. Continuous professional development of leaders in the education sector needs to include support structures such as mentoring.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study sought to investigate how VET managers in South Africa perceive three different types of mentoring – individual, peer group and expert-based key performance area (KPA) mentoring – during a part-time professional leadership development programme. Using interactive qualitative analysis (IQA), the authors collected and analysed data from focus group discussions (n = 24) and individual interviews (n = 21) from two cohorts of the programme.
Findings
The results revealed that individual mentoring represented the most important driving mechanism, followed by peer group mentoring and expert-based KPA mentoring. Participants identified leadership as a prerequisite for their development. Emotions formed the final outcome of the mentoring framework.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the findings, the authors suggest investigating the role played by leaders' interpersonal competences such as emotional competence in the workplace. Additionally, research needs to clarify if and how mentoring can support leaders to develop interpersonal competences in formal and informal settings.
Originality/value
The study offers empirical evidence on a three-pillar mentoring framework adopted in a professional development programme for leaders in VET in South Africa. It highlights the importance of individual, social and emotional factors.
Details
Keywords
Mentoring is a concept that originated between 800 and 700 BC and which is still in existence in organisations irrespective of size, nature of ownership, type of industry or…
Abstract
Mentoring is a concept that originated between 800 and 700 BC and which is still in existence in organisations irrespective of size, nature of ownership, type of industry or geographic location. In its most primal form it is regarded as a method according to which a less experienced employee (protégé or mentee) is guided and advised by a more experienced and skilled employee (mentor) in terms of life as well as professional skills. However, this definition has developed over time as organisations applied mentoring in a more structured manner and institutionalised it within formal organisational processes. Mentoring was, therefore, regarded as a method to “systematically develop the skills and leadership abilities of less experienced members of the organization” (SPA Consultants, 1995, p. 14). Mentoring has been in use within the library and information science profession from the mid-1980s and various publications have discussed the use of mentoring from an American, Australian and British perspective. However, relatively few publications are available regarding the use of mentoring within the South African contexts, and therefore an extensive discussion on the implementation of a structured mentoring scheme at the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) is included in the article. This study draws particularly on recent literature on the knowledge economy and more specifically knowledge management to suggest ways in which the concept of mentoring should be revised. Mentoring should henceforth be seen as a knowledge management technique to support the creation and sharing of tacit knowledge rather than merely a technique to develop less experienced individuals. This revised view of mentoring is of particular importance to ensure the sustainability of library and information service organisations in the knowledge economy.