Date of Award

7-25-2006

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL)

Department

Leadership

Abstract

The term "mentor" is a commonplace word that refers to a relationship in which a senior individual with certain knowledge and expertise provides guidance and psychosocial support to a less-experienced individual. In today's world, mentoring is associated with both career and personal development. As more women fill top positions, organizations must understand the benefits of female mentors in business.

Although many researchers have examined the dynamics of the mentor-protege relationship, most research focuses on the benefits received by the protege. The benefit for mentors has gained attention recently, finally recognizing that mentoring relationships are reciprocal.

The purpose of this research was to study the benefits of being a mentor, and, specifically, the benefits that female mentors obtain from serving as a mentor. This study also examined the impact of the mentoring experience on matched-gender and mixed-gender pairs of mentor/proteges.

The research is an interview-based phenomenological study of the mentor's perceptions, perspectives, and understanding of the benefits received from mentoring. Based on the available research and the case studies, the benefits to female mentors are discussed in this paper. Although the paper contains a limited number of case studies, the results provide insights to the mentoring experience and suggest areas for additional research on the mentoring topic.

Identifier

SC 11.MAL.2006.Toborg.L

Download

Share

COinS