Principles of effective mentoring communication in entrepreneurship: the results of a survey of experts

Abstract

With the development of mentoring networks, communication between mentors and mentees and related problems in entrepreneurship have become an increasingly important topic in recent years. The aim of the research is to identify the most important problems that hinder an effective communication process between the mentor and the mentee in entrepreneurship based on expert opinions on the elements of and barriers to the communication process. The research results have revealed that mentors’ willingness to communicate, appropriately engaging in dialogue with their mentees, as well as honour and other skills and traits are essential. The experts have emphasized that it is important that the mentee does not take the mentor’s experience literally but critically assesses whether his/her resources are aligned with the goal. According to the experts, the most essential barriers to communication were a lack of time and logical barriers and obstacles that emerged to partners with different ways of thinking. Researchers need to continue the research started by the authors of the paper by working on and designing a communication model for mentors and mentees, taking into account the communication barriers identified in the present research and other factors relevant to communication in entrepreneurship.