Topic: Mentoring
Publication: Journal of Vocational Behavior (DEC 2010)
Article:What keeps people in mentoring relationships when bad things happen? A field study from the protégé’s perspective.
Authors: H. G. Burk, and L. T. Eby
Reviewed by: Charleen Maher
We know that mentoring provides both mentors and protégés with benefits such as greater job satisfaction, greater organizational commitment, and lower turnover intentions. But the fact is, not all mentoring relationships run smoothly. So, why would someone stay in a mentoring relationship even when things go wrong?
Burk and Eby (2010) note that negative mentoring relationships can include general dysfunctionality, mismatch between the mentor and protégé, manipulative behavior, distancing behavior, and lack of mentor experience (e.g., the mentor lacks interpersonal or job-related skills). When it comes to negative mentoring relationships, this study suggests that when protégés experience general dysfunctionality, lack of mentor expertise, or mismatch within the dyad, they are more likely to leave their mentor. In some negative mentoring relationships, intentions to leave may decrease if the protégé believes that he/she has few mentoring alternatives or if he/she is afraid that the mentor will retaliate.
Organizations can take this research into consideration when designing formal mentoring programs. Specifically, mentoring programs can provide back-up mentors so that protégés don’t feel trapped in dysfunctional relationships. Formal mentoring programs can also build accountability systems and safe exit strategies if the relationship doesn’t work out.