Mentoring Relationships, Gender and Work-Family Conflict: The Case of IT Careers (original) (raw)
Related papers
2001
Mentoring has long been considered important in career advancement in many fields. It is important to pay attention to and counter these trends because mentoring appears to be related to a number of organizational and individual-level outcomes. In this research in progress, we examine certain factors that may lead to a more effective mentoring relationship, thereby increasing the likelihood that the relationship will be lasting and beneficial for the individual and organization. Specifically, we suggest similarities based on gender and workfamily conflict will be related to an effective mentoring relationships. Propositions are presented with respect to these relationships. Although we do not directly link mentoring with retention, the outcomes discussed above will likely result in reduced turnover in IT-related jobs. These outcomes are likely to be negatively associated with women's likelihood of remaining in IT fields and their performance and advancement in the IT field.
The Value of Mentoring in Facilitating the Retention and Upward Mobility of Women in ICT
2007
The low employment and poor retention of women in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) work force remains a serious issue at a time when there is a shortage of skilled ICT workers. Effective intervention strategies such as mentoring have been found to contribute to the retention and promotion of ICT women to senior decision making positions. Using a family of concepts inherent in organisational and the ICT occupational cultures as a framework of analysis this paper presents the results from interviews with 90 professional women in the New Zealand ICT workforce regarding their mentoring experiences. Only the large Government and international organisations provided formal mentoring programs, in which 12 of the women had participated. Forty of the women had developed mentoring relationships serendipitously, usually with senior male colleagues. These relationships definitely contributed to their career advancement. A number of women wanted mentors but were unable to find them. If the industry is concerned about the lack of women in ICT then it is recommended that where formal programs are not available access to external mentoring programs should be a part of the human resources policies for ICT workers.
The Moderating Effect of Gender Differences between Mentoring and Individuals' Career
Canadian Social …, 2009
This study was conducted to examine the effect of mentoring program and gender differences on individuals' career using 153 usable questionnaires gathered from employees who work in one public university in Sarawak, Malaysia. Outcomes of hierarchical regression analysis showed two important findings: firstly, interaction between formal mentoring and gender differences positively and significantly correlated with individuals' career. Secondly, interaction between informal mentoring and gender differences positively and significantly correlated with individuals' career. This result confirms that gender differences do act as a
The way we were: Gender and the termination of mentoring relationships
Journal of Applied Psychology, 1997
The relationship between gender and the termination of mentoring relationships was assessed in a matched sample of 142 male and female ex-proteg&. Counter to prevailing assumptions, when gender differences in rank, salary, tenure, and other demographic and organizational variables were controlled, women did not differ from men in the number or duration of prior relationships or in their reasons for terminating the relationship. Mentoring relationships have been shown to be an important determinant in career success and advancement. Mentors are generally defined as individuals with advanced experience and knowledge who are committed to providing upward support and mobility to their proteges' careers (Hunt & Michael, 1983; Kram, 1985). Research has indicated that individuals with mentors receive more promotions (Dreher & Ash, 1990), have higher incomes (Dreher & Ash, 1990), and report more career satisfaction (Fagenson, 1989; Turban & Dougherty, 1994) and mobility (Scandura, 1992) than those lacking mentors. However, the effectiveness of the mentoring relationship is partially determined by the timeliness of its termination (Kram, 1985). At some point, the relationship fulfills its functions and the protege" needs to move on to the next mentoring relationship (Burlew, 1991; Kram, 1985). It has been suggested that overdependency on a mentoring relationship can actually be deleterious to a protege's career progression (Burlew, 1991; Hunt & Michael, 1983; Kram, 1985). In fact, the effective use of multiple sequential mentors has been identified as a key ingredient in career development and advancement in organizations (Burlew, 1991; Roche, 1979).
The Role of Gender in Mentoring: Implications for Diversified and Homogenous Mentoring Relationships
Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2000
The present study examined the effects of gender composition of mentoring relationships on protégés' perceptions of the degree of role modeling and psychosocial and career development mentoring functions received. Data from 200 mentor/protégé dyads composed of working professionals from a variety of industries were analyzed using AN-COVA with planned comparisons. Results indicated that mentoring relationships involving female mentors in either homogeneous or diversified relationships provided more role modeling and less career development than relationships involving male mentors. Unexpectedly, male mentors in homogeneous relationships were associated with lower levels of role modeling than female mentors in either homogeneous or diversified relationships. Homogeneous male relationships also offered less psychosocial support than female mentors in diversified relationships with male protégés. Male mentors in diversified relationships with female protégés were associated with more career development than any other gender combination of mentoring relationship.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 1999
The authors examined the effects of the type of mentoring relationship and the gender composition of the relationship on mentoring functions and career outcomes reported by 352 female and 257 male proteges. Proteges of informal mentors viewed their mentors as more effective and received greater compensation than proteges of formal mentors. Proteges with informal mentors also received more career outcomes than nonmentored individuals, but no significant differences were found between nonmentored and formally mentored individuals. The gender composition of the relationship affected mentoring functions and outcomes, and protege gender interacted with the type of relationship to affect mentoring functions. Mentoring relationships are a critical career resource for employees in organizations. Mentors are individuals with advanced experience and knowledge who are committed to providing upward support and mobility to their protege's careers (Hunt & Michael, 1983; Kram, 1985a). Mentors help their proteges by providing two general types of behaviors or functions: career development functions, which facilitate the protege's advancement in the organization, and psychosocial functions, which contribute to the protege's personal growth and professional development (Kram, 1985a). The presence of a mentor is associated with an array of positive career outcomes: Proteges receive more promo
An Investigation of the Effects of Protégé Gender on Responses to Mentoring
Journal of Vocational Behavior, 1996
Review of the literature on mentoring at work reveals a paucity of studies investigating gender differences in responses to mentoring. Relations of mentoring status and protégé gender to organizational commitment, job satisfaction, career progress expectations, perceived employment alternatives, role conflict, and role ambiguity are reported for a sample of 254 managers. Results indicate that having a mentor may be associated with a more positive job experience and the perception of more employment alternatives elsewhere. Implications for future research are discussed.
Women and Mentoring: A Review and Research Agenda
Academy of Management Review, 1988
Mentoring provides career guidance and psychological support to employees. However, women may have difficulty establishing a mentoring relationship. This paper describes the individual and organizational factors that may inhibit the development of mentorships for women. An agenda ior research on the development and dynamics of mentoring relationships is proposed.
Mentoring relationships at work: An investigation of mentoring functions, benefits, and gender
2019
The program of research reported here provides a contemporary view of mentoring relationships. In particular, it presents a definition that reflects mentoring experiences in modern organisations, identifies mentoring functions and benefits as perceived by mentees and mentors, and examines the relationships between those constructs and gender. Forty-eight mentees and mentors from a range of organisations, representing all possible gender combinations of mentee-mentor, were interviewed about their mentoring experiences. Content analysis of the interview data identified 42 categories of mentoring functions and 29 categories of benefits perceived by mentees and mentors. The emergent categories of mentoring functions and benefits were used to construct measurement instruments. The instruments were then completed by 500 mentees and mentors, again representing all four gender combinations of mentee-mentor, from a range of organisations. Principal components analyses revealed seven mentorin...
Gender Differences in Expected Outcomes of Mentoring Relationships
Academy of Management Journal, 1994
We investigated differences in Ihe costs and benefits associated wilh being a mentor in a matched sample of 80 male and 60 female executives. Women were as likely as men lo be mentors and reported outcomes and intentions for future mentoring similar to men's. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.