A model for student mentoring in business schools

Abstract

PurposeThe essence of management education lies in preparing and enabling the students to evolve cognitively, affectively and behaviorally into capable ones equipped to meet and manage challenges from within and outside their organisations or workplaces. Mentoring, as pedagogy, results in enhancing effectiveness of B‐schools (Institutions offering MBA program) in ensuring the transformation of students into professionals. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the formal and teacher‐initiated student mentoring in B‐schools in Kerala in terms of the designated activities, to establish effectiveness of mentoring as outcomes of faculty‐related antecedents and mentoring activities, and to demonstrate the effectiveness in terms of the psycho‐social changes of students.Design/methodology/approachThis research employed a conclusive approach that combined the features of descriptive and explanatory research designs. The respondents of the study comprised 141 permanent teachers, 327 first‐year students and 318 final‐year students enrolled in the management programs of 19 B‐schools in Kerala that had minimum five years of existence and approval of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).FindingsThe study revealed that less than half of the B‐schools had implemented a mentoring program as part of their pedagogy. A structural equation model using the partial least square technique validated the conceptual model and the findings revealed that socio‐demographic characteristics, mentoring activities (teach the job, provide challenge, teach politics, career help, sponsor, career counseling and trust) influenced effectiveness of mentoring.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted only among B‐schools, hence the research results may lack generalization. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed model further.Practical ImplicationsThe paper includes a conceptual framework employed for bringing about effectiveness of mentoring, proven to be valid and may be considered by B‐schools that are institutionalizing mentoring as an element of the pedagogy.Originality/valueThe paper bridges the perceptible lack of theoretical and empirical bases to explain the dynamics of student mentoring in management institutes in the country and will be an eye‐opener to management institutions which have not incorporated mentoring as part of their pedagogy.

Veiksmingos mentorystės samprata

“…However, mentoring itself does not guarantee effective results. Effective mentoring can be one of the instruments to help students gain professional skills, improve academic achievements and socialization in their professional activities, reduction of students (as future professionals) outage, and motivate of their employment (Allan, 2010;Jokelainen, Turunen, Tossavainen, Jamookeeah, Coco, 2011;George, Mampilly, 2012). Research shows that an effective teacher or other experts in their fields is not necessarily an effective practitioner mentor (Hudson, Spooner-Lane, Murray, 2012;Abiddin 2012, Anderson, 2011.…”

“…Veiksminga mentorystė padeda studentams įgyti profesinių kompetencijų, padidina studentų saugumo jausmą praktikos metu, gerina studentų akademinių pasiekimų lygį, studentų socializaciją profesinėje veikloje, mažina studentų, kaip būsimų specialistų, nubyrėjimą ir skatina jų įsidarbinimą (Allan, 2010;Jokelainen, Turunen, Tossavainen, Jamookeeah, Coco, 2011;Anderson, 2011;George, Mampilly, 2012).…”

Veiksminga Mentorystė: Slaugos Studijų Atvejis

“…Praktinio mokymo kokybė labai priklauso nuo mentoriaus atliekamo vaidmens veiksmingumo (George, Mampilly, 2012), todėl mentoriui turi būti būdingos veiksmingo mentoriaus savybės ir elgsena, kurios palengvintų studentų mokymąsi daugialypėje klinikinėje aplinkoje (Papp, Markanken, Von-Bonsdroff, 2003). Veiksminga mentoriaus elgsena apibūdinama kaip veikla, perduodama verbalinės ir neverbalinės sąveikos būdu bei palengvinanti studentų mokymą(si) klinikinėje aplinkoje (Ali, 2012).…”

Influence of learning mentoring on mentor effectiveness: case of nursing studies

“…Academic works show that the effectiveness of a nursing students' mentor is important for improving the quality of practical training, for linking practical and theoretical teaching/ learning experience of students (Webb, Shakespeare, 2008), for personal and professional development (Myall, Levett-Jones, & Lathlean, 2008). Moreover, an effective mentor of nursing students helps students to acquire professional competencies (Jokelainen, Turunen, Tossavainen, & Jamookeeah, 2011;Smedley, 2008;Webb & Shakespeare, 2008), enhances students' sense of security during the practical training period (Allan, 2010), improves the level of students' academic performance (Anderson, 2011;George & Mampilly, 2012) and students' socialisation in professional activity (Allan, 2010;Jokelainen et al 2011;Anderson, 2011), reduces the 'wastage' of students as future professionals (George & Mampilly, 2012). Professional nurses become mentors of nursing students in personal health care institutions.…”

“…A special emphasis is placed on the role of mentoring during practical training (Kondratavičienė & Sajienė, 2007;George & Mampilly, 2012), when students are learning to perform professional functions in real-life situations of professional practice under a guidance of a competent assistant -a professional mentor. Research works show that the quality of student learning is higher when they have effective mentors (Lee, Cholowski, & Williams, 2002;Allison-Jones, & Hirt, 2004;Kelly, 2007;Heshati-Nabavi, & Vanaki, 2010;Ali, 2012).…”