Framing the mentoring relationship as an information exchange

Abstract Researchers have begun to examine the mentoring relationship and, along with practitioners, consider it an important, if not critical, assimilation and/or development tool for employees (proteges), particularly for those new to the organization and/or in the early stages of their careers (e.g., Chao, Walz, & Gardner 1991; Dreher & Ash 1990; Fagenson 1989). Yet we still know relatively little about mentoring. The focus of mentoring research, thus far, has been largely on outcomes for proteges; the mentor's perspective has not received the same attention. This article aims to focus our attention on better defining the mentoring relationship and suggests a model that considers outcomes for both the mentor and the protege and frames the mentorship as a two-way exchange of information, bringing together the mentoring and information seeking literatures. Both literatures indicate that contextual variables and individual differences should be considered as antecedents in the study of information seeking by mentors and proteges. This article suggests considering relationship characteristics as antecedents to information seeking by mentors and proteges as well. Future research directions for mentoring in this information-exchange framework are discussed.

[1]  James G. Clawson,et al.  Managing cross-gender mentoring , 1984 .

[2]  L. L. Cummings,et al.  FEEDBACK AS AN INDIVIDUAL RESOURCE: PERSONAL STRATEGIES OF CREATING INFORMATION , 1983 .

[3]  Carol M. Michael,et al.  Mentorship: A Career Training and Development Tool , 1983 .

[4]  Lynn A. Isabella,et al.  Mentoring Alternatives: The Role of Peer Relationships in Career Development , 1985 .

[5]  S. Ashford.  Feedback-Seeking in Individual Adaptation: A Resource Perspective , 1986 .

[6]  Michael G. Zey.  Mentor programs: Making the right moves. , 1985 .

[7]  R. Noe.  An investigation of the determinants of successful assigned mentoring relationships , 1988 .

[8]  David A. Thomas.  Racial dynamics in cross-race developmental relationships , 1993 .

[9]  M. Snyder.  Self-monitoring of expressive behavior. , 1974 .

[10]  Elizabeth Wolfe Morrison,et al.  Impression Management in the Feedback-Seeking Process: A Literaturereview and Research Agenda , 1991 .

[11]  Rudi Klauss,et al.  FORMALIZED MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS FOR MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT , 1981 .

[12]  Thomas W. Dougherty,et al.  CORRELATES OF CAREER-ORIENTED MENTORING FOR EARLY CAREER MANAGERS AND PROFESSIONALS. , 1992 .

[13]  Gregory B. Northcraft,et al.  Conveying more (or less) than we realize: The role of impression-management in feedback-seeking , 1992 .

[14]  B. R. Ragins.  Barriers to Mentoring: The Female Manager's Dilemma , 1989 .

[15]  J. V. Maanen,et al.  Toward a theory of organizational socialization , 1977 .

[16]  G. McKenna.  Analysis of the Benefits of Being a Mentor in a Formal Induction Program , 1987 .

[17]  Stephen J. Carroll,et al.  What do proteges look for in a mentor? Results of three experimental studies , 1988 .

[18]  Kathy E. Kram,et al.  Improving the Mentoring Process. , 1985 .

[19]  Barry Smith.  Mutual Mentoring on Projects – A Proposal to Combine the Advantage of Several Established Management Development Methods , 1990 .

[20]  Ronald J. Burke,et al.  Correlates of Mentoring in Organizations: The Mentor's Perspective , 1993 .

[21]  LuAnn Ricketts Gaskill,et al.  Same-Sex and Cross-Sex Mentoring of Female Protégés: A Comparative Analysis , 1991 .

[22]  Factor Analytic Support for Psychosocial and Vocational Mentoring Functions , 1985 .

[23]  D. W. Myers,et al.  The caveats in mentorship , 1985 .

[24]  Daniel B. Turban,et al.  Role of protégé personality in receipt of mentoring and career success. , 1994 .

[25]  Raymond A. Noe,et al.  Women and Mentoring: A Review and Research Agenda , 1988 .

[26]  David Boyle,et al.  Esteem Construct Generality and Academic Performance , 1975 .

[27]  M. Taylor,et al.  Consequences of individual feedback on behavior in organizations. , 1979 .

[28]  Martin M. Greller,et al.  Sources of feedback: A preliminary investigation , 1975 .

[29]  E. Morrison,et al.  Newcomer information seeking: Exploring types, modes, sources, and outcomes. , 1993 .

[30]  Ronald A. Ash,et al.  A comparative study of mentoring among men and women in managerial, professional, and technical positions. , 1990 .

[31]  Ellen A. Fagenson.  The mentor advantage: Perceived career/job experiences of proteges versus non‐proteges , 1989 .

[32]  Patricia M. Fandt,et al.  The management of information and impressions: When employees behave opportunistically , 1990 .

[33]  S. Riley,et al.  Mentoring Among Women Lawyers1 , 1985 .

[34]  Charles C. Healy,et al.  Mentoring Relations: A Definition to Advance Research and Practice , 1990 .

[35]  E. Berscheid,et al.  The Relationship Closeness Inventory : Assessing the Closeness of Interpersonal Relationships , 2004 .

[36]  Ronald J. Burke,et al.  Mentors in Organizations , 1984 .

[37]  K. Kram.  Phases of the mentor relationship. , 1983 .

[38]  Dianne D. Horgan,et al.  Gender, Mentoring, and Tacit Knowledge. , 1988 .

[39]  B. R. Ragins,et al.  The Effects of Sex and Gender Role Orientation on Mentorship in Male-Dominated Occupations. , 1993 .

[40]  E. Sundstrom,et al.  Gender and power in organizations: A longitudinal perspective. , 1989 .

[41]  M. Reich.  The Mentor Connection. , 1986 .

[42]  Terri A. Scandura,et al.  Mentorship and career mobility: An empirical investigation , 1992 .

[43]  J. Brockner.  Self-Esteem at Work: Research, Theory and Practice , 1988 .

[44]  Vernon D. Miller,et al.  INFORMATION SEEKING DURING ORGANIZATIONAL ENTRY: INFLUENCES, TACTICS, AND A MODEL OF THE PROCESS , 1991 .

[45]  Donald G. Gardner,et al.  Organization-Based Self-Esteem: Construct Definition, Measurement, And Validation , 1989 .

[46]  Roch Gr,et al.  Much ado about mentors. , 1979 .

[47]  Jerry Willbur.  Does Mentoring Breed Success , 1987 .

[48]  R. Burke,et al.  Sex Differences and Cross-Sex Effects on Mentoring: Some Preliminary Data , 1990 .

[49]  Cheri Ostroff,et al.  The Role of Mentoring in the Information Gathering Processes of Newcomers during Early Organizational Socialization , 1993 .

[50]  Belle Rose Ragins,et al.  Easier said than done: Gender differences in perceived barriers to gaining a mentor. , 1991 .

[51]  Ellen A. Fagenson.  Mentoring--Who Needs It? A Comparison of Proteges' and Nonproteges' Needs for Power, Achievement, Affiliation, and Autonomy. , 1992 .

[52]  S. C. Goh.  Sex differences in perceptions of interpersonal work style, career emphasis, supervisory mentoring behavior, and job satisfaction , 1991 .