Satisfaction with mentoring relationships: does gender identity matter?

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of gender identity on protégés' satisfaction with mentoring relationships. More specifically, it aims to investigate whether or not a protégé's feminine or masculine identity, by virtue of emphasizing different criteria, roles, and preferences, impacts his or her satisfaction with the performance of a mentor. Design/methodology/approach -Managers and/or professionals, identified by in-career MBA students at large universities in the East, completed surveys to assess relationship satisfaction as a mentoring outcome. Findings -The results of this study indicate that masculine protégés, who strongly identify with their career roles, report being more satisfied with mentors who provide career development support. Conversely, feminine protégés, who measure career success using socio-emotional-based criteria, report being more satisfied with mentors who provide psychosocial support.Research limitations/implications -The study is limited in its generalizability due to the type of sample studied. The sample consisted of managers from a variety of male-dominated occupations. In addition, since the data were self-reported on a single survey, common method bias may also be an issue. Practical implications -Despite limitations, the study implies that assessment of gender identity and related skills can provide organizations with more effective guidance and matching of mentors and protégés to maximize perceived satisfaction on the part of the protégé. Originality/value -Although many studies have investigated a variety of factors that affect mentoring, few have examined the influence of gender identity on the functioning of these relationships.

Relational Mentoring Episodes as a Catalyst for Empowering Protégés

“…We propose that the developmental meaning facet of protégé empowerment reflects a protégé’s perceived fit between developmental needs and the support received from mentors. This is important as the degree to which expectations are met can influence the quality of developmental relationships, trust (Young & Perrewe, 2000), perceptions of support received (Fullick, Smith-Jentsch, & Kendall, 2013), and relationship satisfaction (Ortiz-Walters, Eddleston, & Simione, 2010).…”

“…Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory holds that efficacy beliefs are dynamic, malleable, and subject to change relative to specific domains. In our model, the domain is interpersonal, and the associated empowerment is produced from feelings of interpersonal comfort that result through positive interactions with mentors (Ortiz-Walters et al, 2010). We argue that interpersonal competence, as part of empowerment, relates to a protégé's sense of interpersonal self-efficacy.…”

Students as Protégés

“…Mentoring consists of both positive and negative experiences that result in different levels of satisfaction with the mentoring relationship (Ragins, Cotton, & Miller, 2000). The level of satisfaction with a mentor is important because dissatisfaction can prompt a protégé to spend less time with a mentor and can reduce the quality of mentoring exchanges, thus reducing the effectiveness of the mentoring relationship (Ortiz-Walters, Eddleston, & Simione, 2010). Thus, satisfaction with mentoring relationships is studied because it is an important factor in the success and effectiveness of mentoring (Kram, 1985; Ragins et al, 2000; Xu & Payne, 2014).…”

Understanding the impact of informal mentoring on female mid-level community college administrators : an interpretive phenomenological analysis

“…If a woman is able to find a mentor relationship, especially formal mentoring relationships, she is faced with two tasks: managing the internal relationship between the protégé and the mentor, and managing the external relationship between the dyad and the rest of the institution (Blake-Beard, 2001;Blake-Beard et al, 2011;Ortiz-Walters et al, 2010). The gender composition of the mentor-protégé dyad will have a direct influence on the effectiveness of the relationship (Blake-Beard, 2001;Blake-Beard et al, 2011;Clawson & Kram, 1984;Dworkin et.…”

“…They also state that women will remain unaware of specific steps important to their career advancement without mentoring (Aisenberg & Harrington, 1988;Crosby-Hiller, 2012). With mentoring so important for career advancement, especially for women, the lack of viable mentors has greatly affected the advancement of women to senior administrative positions (ASHE, 2011;Crosby-Hiller, 2012;Ortiz-Walters, Eddleston, & Simione, 2010).…”