An Ecological Systems Perspective on Mentoring at Work: A Review and Future Prospects

Abstract

After nearly 30 years as a subject of inquiry, mentoring remains a mainstay in the organizational literature, as relationships are arguably more important than ever to employees' personal and career growth. In this paper, we take an ecological perspective to situate and review topical areas of the literature with the intention of enhancing our understanding of how mentoring outcomes for protégés and mentors are determined not only by individual differences (e.g., personality) and dyadic factors (e.g., the quality of a relationship)-both of which represent the most frequently examined levels * Corresponding author.of analyses-but also the influences of the people from various social spheres comprising their developmental network, the larger organization of which they are a part, and macrosystem factors (e.g., technological shifts, globalization) that enable, constrain, or shape mentoring and other developmental relationships. Our review examines multi-level influences that shape mentoring outcomes, and brings into focus how the study of mentoring can be advanced by research at the network, organizational, and macrosystem levels. To help guide future research efforts, we assert that adult development and relational schema theories, Positive Organizational Scholarship, a social network perspective, signaling theory, and institutional theories can help to address emerging and unanswered questions at each ecological level.

Paying it forward? The mixed effects of organizational inducements on executive mentoring

“…Although Kram's () initial research on mentoring acknowledged the importance of organizational practices in shaping mentoring behavior, most research on mentoring examines individual‐level or dyadic predictors of mentoring (Chandler, Kram, & Yip, ). Consequently, how inducements affect mentoring remains unexplored in organizational research.…”

A self-determination theory perspective on mentoring relationships at work

“…First, scholars may examine how the organizational context influences mentoring relationships. Chandler et al (2011) distinguish several levels of analysis. One of these levels is the organizational microsystem, in which researchers focus on how the organizational context shapes mentoring processes.…”

“…These networks of relationships include but are not limited to one's primary mentor. Inspired by developmental network research, it is argued that mentoring literature could pay more attention to the broader context of mentoring (Chandler, Kram, & Yip, 2011;Jones & Corner, 2012).…”

“…Individuals are embedded in different social networks that influence how each bond with others is formed and developed over time (e.g., Felmee, 2001). Inspired by developmental network research, we argue that mentoring literature could pay more attention to the broader context of mentoring (e.g., Chandler et al, 2011;Jones & Corner, 2012), including temporal influences. A second premise is that individuals not only engage in human relationships for instrumental purposes, that is, for positive outcomes for themselves.…”

“…Despite recent calls for more research focusing on the social context of mentoring (e.g., Chandler et al, 2011), researchers have paid little attention to the embeddedness of mentoring relationships within their larger organizational context (Janssen et al, in press). As a result, there is limited insight into how mentoring relationships influence their direct work context.…”