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Research on mentorships has suffered from fragmentation of key issues; specifically, type of mentoring relationship, functions served by the mentor, and outcomes of the mentoring relationship. A field study was conducted comparing 212 proteges who were involved in informally developed mentorships, $3 proteges involved in formal mentorship programs, and 284 individuals who did not have mentors. Individuals in informal and formal mentorships were compared along two mentoring dimensions: psychosocial and career-related functions. All groups were compared on three outcome measures: organizational socialization, job satisfaction, and salary. Results indicated proteges in informal mentorships reported more career-related support from their mentors and higher salaries than proteges in formal mentorships. For all outcome variables, proteges in informal mentorships also reported more favorable outcomes than nonmentored individuals. However, outcomes from proteges in formal mentorships were generally not significant from the other two groups. Implications for mentorship practices and research are discussed.
Although the description of mentorships can be traced back to ancient Greek history, most of the empirical research on mentorships has been conducted only within the past decade. The current literature has elored mentorships in several directions including the phases of mentorship (Kram, 1983), the role served by a mentor (Moe 1988; Orth, Wilkinson & Benfari, 1987; Tack & Tack, 1986; Schockett & Haring-Hidore, 1985) and outcomes from mentorships (Dreher & Ash, 1990; Fagenson, 1988, 1989; Hunt & Michael, 1983; Riley & Wrench, 1985; Whitely, Dougherty, & Dreher, 1991).
At the practical level, organizations have recognized the value of mentorships ad have tried to formalize these relationships as part of the planned career development of junior managers and professionals (Moe, 1988; Wilson & Elman, 1990; Zey, 1991). The basic distinction between formal and informal mentorships lies in the formation of the relationship. Informal mentorships are not managed, structured, nor formally recognized by the organization. Traditionally, they are spontaneous relationships that occur without external involvement from the organization. In contrast, formal mentorships are programs that are managed and sanctioned by the organization.
Despite the increase in mentorship research and practice, two important issues have yet to receive adequate attention: (a) relationships between functions served by mentors and individual job outcomes and (b) Comparisons of the outcomes among nonmentored, formally mentored, and informally mentored individuals. The purpose of this study...