Engagement, inclusion, knowledge sharing, and talent development: is reverse mentoring a panacea to all? Findings from literature review

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to systematically review the practice of reverse mentoring and draw a timeline of the research over the past two decades. Considering the novelty of this intervention, this paper proposed an agenda for future research on this burgeoning topic. Design/methodology/approach By adopting narrative literature review and Gregory and Denniss’ (2018) four-step process, this paper reviewed 54 studies grounded in conceptual, literature review and empirical research published between 1998 and 2020. Findings The articles included in the literature review on reverse mentoring research were summarized according to journal publications, research methodologies, contextual settings, theoretical framework, purpose and outcomes. Reverse mentoring studies are dominantly published in educational journals using primarily qualitative and conceptual approaches to explore both academic and business contexts within the USA and Europe. Theories frequently used to frame and examine the need of reverse mentoring included social exchange theory and leader-member exchange theory. The fundamental purpose of reverse mentoring research is to transfer knowledge and to bridge the technology divide between intergenerational groups. Reverse mentoring has been used to promote inclusivity between multiple generations in relation to gender, ethnicity and culture. Originality/value As per the knowledge, this is the first-ever comprehensive English summary of reverse mentoring research done in the past two decades. Findings from this research can be used to better understand reverse mentoring research trends and directions.

The missing voices of learning and development professionals: Factors influencing formal and informal practices of reverse mentoring

“…In light of an increased emphasis on studying mentoring dynamics in cross‐cultural settings (Gentry et al., 2008; Mezias & Scandura, 2005; Ramaswami et al., 2014), researchers have voiced concerns that not much has been studied or written on how certain cultural factors may impact the dynamics of mentoring and its outcome, let alone reverse mentoring. In case of reverse mentoring, the extant literature is heavily tilted toward the West with most of the studies originating from the United States and the European countries, with a handful of them being from other countries (Chaudhuri et al., 2021). To address this, we interviewed learning and development and HRD professionals with experiences of working in organizations located in multiple countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas to understand their perspectives on factors influencing success of formal and informal practices of reverse mentoring.…”

Reverse mentoring to enhance research integrity climate

“…The concept of reverse mentoring has been successfully implemented within different corporations and private settings since it was first formally introduced at General Electric in 1999 [9][10][11][12][13]. At first, junior employees (acting as mentors) were matched with more senior colleagues (acting as mentees) to transfer specific competencies in new emerging technologies and IT skills.…”

“…At first, junior employees (acting as mentors) were matched with more senior colleagues (acting as mentees) to transfer specific competencies in new emerging technologies and IT skills. Besides transmitting IT skills, reverse mentoring has been proven to be beneficial in terms of building cross-generational relationships, creating equity and equality within the working environment, creating a two-way flow of new competencies, awareness, skills and establishing a better understanding of the organizational environment [9,[11][12][13][14][15]. Reverse mentoring has also been successfully implemented in the NHS (National Health Service, https:// www.…”

“…Besides having possible direct benefits in fostering responsible research practices and in promoting open science practices, reverse mentoring might have an impact on issues not strictly related to research integrity or open science, but still influencing the research integrity climate. Reverse mentoring might be valuable for senior academics for improving their mentorship and inter-relational skills and for junior researchers to improve their leadership and managerial skills [10][11][12][13][14]. Supporting reverse mentoring and the collaboration between junior researchers and senior academics might be beneficial to mitigating the intergenerational gap between them and the power imbalance that occasionally suffocates early-career researchers and PhD candidates.…”

The interplay between leaders’ personality traits and mentoring quality and their impact on mentees’ job satisfaction and job performance

“…Most definitions of the mentoring state that it is an activity in which someone with more expertise helps and supports someone with less expertise to advance their professional careers ( Garg et al, 2021 ). There are two key roles that mentors play in their relationships with protegees, according to Chaudhuri et al (2021) . One is the traditional role that is offering professional support that includes actively participating in the mentee’s development by providing opportunities and challenges to grow and prosper in his career.…”