Advertisement

Factors affecting willingness to mentor

  • Chiara Ghislieri
  • Paola Gatti
  • Gian Piero Quaglino
Article
First Online:

Abstract

The paper presents a survey among 300 employees in Northern Italy to assess the willingness to mentor and identify the factors that affect it. Men and respondents with previous mentoring experience indicate a higher willingness to be a mentor. Willingness is affected by personal characteristics that are perceived as necessary for a mentor and the perceived benefits and drawbacks of mentoring.

Keywords

Mentor Willingness Personal characteristics 

Résumé. Facteurs affectant la volonté d'assumer un mentoring.

L’article présente une enquête effectuée parmi 300 employés du nord de l’Italie visant à évaluer la volonté d’assumer un mentoring et à identifier les facteurs qui affectent cette volonté. Les hommes et les participants disposant d’une expérience précédente de tutelle indiquent une volonté plus élevée d’être un mentor. La volonté est affectée par les caractéristiques personnelles qui sont perçues comme nécessaires pour un mentor et les avantages et les inconvénients perçus de la tutelle.

Zusammenfassung. Faktoren, die die Bereitschaft zur Übernahme einer Mentorentätigkeit beeinflussen.

Dieser Artikel stellt eine Untersuchung vor, die in Nord-Italien mit 300 Arbeitnehmern durchgeführt wurde, um die Bereitschaft zur Übernahme einer Mentorentätigkeit zu beurteilen und die Faktoren zu identifizieren, die diese Bereitschaft beeinlussen. Männer und Personen, die zuvor ihrerseits Erfahrungen mit Mentoren gesammelt hatten, zeigten eine höhere Bereitschaft, als Mentor tätig zu werden. Die Bereitschaft wird beeinflusst einerseits von persönlichen Merkmalen, die als notwendig für einen Mentor wahrgenommen werden, und andererseits von erwarteten Vor- und Nachteilen, die bei der Übernahme einer Mentorentätigkeit vermutet werden.

Resumen. Factores que afectan la disposición para ser mentor/a.

Este articulo presenta una encuesta realizada entre 300 empleadores en el norte de Italia, con el fin de evaluar la disposición para actuar de mentor/a e identificar los factores que influyen en dicha disposición. Los hombres y los/las informantes con experiencia previa en mentoría muestran una mayor disposición para ser mentores. En esta disposición influyen características personales que se perciben como necesarias para un mentor y los beneficios y desventajas de la mentoría.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Allen, T. D. (2003). Mentoring others: A dispositional and motivational approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 62(1), 134–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Allen, T. D., Day, R., & Lentz, E. (2005). The role of interpersonal comfort in mentoring relationships. Journal of Career Development, 31(3), 155–169.Google Scholar
  3. Allen, T. D., Eby, L. T., Poteet, M. L., Lentz, E., & Lima, L. (2004). Career benefits associated with mentoring for protégés: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(1), 127–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Allen, T. D., & O’Brien, K. E. (2006). Formal mentoring programs and organizational attraction. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 17(1), 43–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Allen, T. D., Poteet, M. L., & Russell, J. E. A. (2000). Protégé selection by mentors: What makes the difference? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 21(3), 271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Allen, T. D., Poteet, M. L., Russell, J. E. A., & Dobbins, G. H. (1997). A field study of factors related to supervisors’ willingness to mentor others. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 50, 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Allen, T. D., Russell, J. E. A., & Maetzke, S. B. (1997). Formal peer monitoring: Factors related to protégés’ satisfaction and willingness to mentor others. Group and Organization Management, 22(4), 488–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Aryee, S., Chay, Y. W., & Chew, J. (1996). The motivation to mentor among managerial employees: An interactionist approach. Group and Organization Management, 21(3), 261–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Aryee, S., Lo, S., & Kang, I.-L. (1999). Antecedents of early career stage mentoring among Chinese employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20(5), 563–576.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Bandura, A. (2001). Guida alla costruzione delle scale di autoefficacia [Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales]. In G. V. Caprara (Ed.), La valutazione dell’autoefficacia (pp. 15–27). Trento, Italy: Erickson.Google Scholar
  11. Baum, H. S. (1992). Mentoring: Narcissistic fantasies and oedipal realities. Human Relations, 45(3), 223–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Bieling, P. J., Beck, A. T., & Brown, G. K. (2000). The sociotropy-autonomy scale: Structure and implications. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24(6), 763–780.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Borgogni, L., Petitta, L., & Steca, P. (2001). Efficacia personale e collettiva nei contesti organizzativi [Personal and collective self-efficacy in organizational settings]. In G. V. Caprara (Ed.), La valutazione dell’autoefficacia (pp. 157–171). Trento, Italy: Erickson.Google Scholar
  14. Bozionelos, N. (2006). Mentoring and expressive network resources: Their relationship with career success and emotional exhaustion among Hellenes employees involved in emotion work. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(2), 362–378.Google Scholar
  15. Chao, G. T., & O’Leary, A. M. (1990). How others see same- and cross-gender mentoring. Mentoring International, 4(3), 3–12.Google Scholar
  16. Chao, G. T., Walz, P. M., & Gardner, P. D. (1992). Formal and informal mentorship. A comparison on mentoring functions and contrast with nonmentored counterparts. Personnel Psychology, 45, 619–636.Google Scholar
  17. Cooper, C. L., Sloan, S. J., & Williams, S. (2002). OSI—Occupational stress indicator (S. Sirigatti & C. Stefanile, Trans.). Firenze, Italy: Organizzazioni Speciali. (Original work published 1988).Google Scholar
  18. Dalton, G. W., Thompson, P. H., & Price, R. L. (1977). The four stages of professional careers: A new look at performance by professionals. Organizational Dynamics, 6(1), 19–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Eby, L. T. (1997). Alternative forms of mentoring in changing organizational environments: A conceptual extension of the mentoring literature. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 51, 125–144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Eby, L. T., & Allen, T. D. (2002). Further investigation of protégés’ negative mentoring experiences. Group and Organization Management, 27(4), 456–479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Eby, L. T., Durley, J. R., Evans, S. C., & Ragins, B. R. (2008). Mentors’ perceptions of negative mentoring experiences: Scale development and nomological validation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 358–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. Eby, L. T., Lockwood, A. L., & Butts, M. (2006). Perceived support for mentoring: A multiple perspectives approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(2), 267–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Eby, L. T., McManus, S. E., Simon, S. A., & Russell, J. E. A. (2000). The protégé’s perspective regarding negative mentoring experiences: The development of a taxonomy. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 57(1), 1–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Fagenson, E. A. (1989). The mentor advantage: Perceived career/job experiences of protégés versus non-protégés. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 10(4), 309–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Feldman, D. C. (1999). Toxic mentors or toxic protégés? A critical re-examination of dysfunctional mentoring. Human Resource Management Review, 9(3), 247–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Fraccaroli, F. (2005). Progettare la carriera [Designing career development]. Milan: Raffaello Cortina.Google Scholar
  27. Ghislieri, C., Colombo, L., & Piccardo, C. (2008). Differenze di genere nella percezione dell’influenza lavoro-famiglia: una ricerca in un ente pubblico. [Gender differences in work-family spill over: A research in a public organization]. Risorsa Uomo, 14(3), 279–294.Google Scholar
  28. Hennefrund, W. (1986). Taking the measure of mentoring. Association Management, 38, 78–83.Google Scholar
  29. Kram, K. E. (1985). Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organizational life. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman.Google Scholar
  30. Kram, K. E., & Hall, D. T. (1989). Mentoring as an antidote to stress during corporate trauma. Human Resource Management, 28, 496–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Kram, K. E., & Isabella, L. A. (1985). Mentoring alternatives: The role of peer relationships in career development. Academy of Management Journal, 28, 110–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Noe, R. A., & Wilk, S. L. (1993). Investigation of the factors that influence employees’ participation in development activities. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(2), 291–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Payne, S. C., & Huffman, A. H. (2005). A longitudinal examination of the influence of mentoring on organizational commitment and turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 48(1), 158–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Quaglino, G. P., Rossi, A., & Ghislieri, C. (2005). Gestire la carriera: esperienze a confronto [Managing careers: Experiences and comparisons]. Risorsa Uomo, 11(1–2), 47–62.Google Scholar
  35. Ragins, B. R., & Cotton, J. L. (1993). Gender and willingness to mentor in organizations. Journal of Management, 19(1), 97–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Ragins, B. R., & Cotton, J. L. (1999). Mentor functions and outcomes: A comparison of men and women in formal and informal mentoring relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(4), 529–550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Ragins, B. R., Cotton, J. L., & Miller, J. S. (2000). Marginal mentoring: The effects of type of mentor, quality of relationship, and program design on work and career attitudes. Academy of Management Journal, 43(6), 1177–1194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Ragins, B. R., & Scandura, T. A. (1994). Gender differences in expected outcomes of mentoring relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 957–971.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Ragins, B. R., & Scandura, T. A. (1999). Burden or blessing? Expected costs and benefits of being a mentor. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20(4), 493–509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Scandura, T. A. (1992). Mentorship and career mobility: An empirical investigation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 13, 169–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  41. Scandura, T. A. (1998). Dysfunctional mentoring relationships and outcomes. Journal of Management, 24(3), 449–467.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Scandura, T. A., & Williams, E. A. (2001). An investigation of the moderating effects of gender on the relationships between mentorship initiation and protégé perceptions of mentoring functions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59(3), 342–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Underhill, C. M. (2006). The effectiveness of mentoring programs in corporate settings: A meta-analytical review of the literature. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68, 292–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Waters, L., McCabe, M., Kiellerup, D., & Kiellerup, S. (2002). The role of formal mentoring on business success and self-esteem in participants of a new business start-up program. Journal of Business Psychology, 17(1), 107–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  45. Wilson, J. A., & Elman, N. S. (1990). Organizational benefits of mentoring. Academy of Management Executive, 4, 88–94.Google Scholar
  46. Young, A. M., & Perrewé, P. L. (2004). The role of expectations in the mentoring exchange: An analysis of mentor and protégé expectations in relation to perceived support. Journal of Managerial Issues, 16(1), 103–126.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • Chiara Ghislieri
    • 1
  • Paola Gatti
    • 1
  • Gian Piero Quaglino
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PsychologyUniversità di TorinoTorinoItaly

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options