Academic literature on the topic 'Organisational career mentoring'

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of organisational conditions and workplace characteristics in midcareer and senior employees’ intention to volitionally provide career support to junior organisational members, their protégés. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses are tested using multilevel linear modelling on a heterogeneous sample of Dutch employees ages 29 to 69 who participated in a vignette study in the autumn of 2017. Findings In line with the hypotheses, the findings of this study show that volitional (informal) mentoring is positively related to an organisation’s endorsement of intrinsic values (e.g. learning opportunities) and negatively to the presence of hindrance demands (e.g. time pressure). Practical implications Practitioners could facilitate co-mentor consultation, employ autonomy-supportive direct supervisors and fulfil psychological contract obligations by providing job security and learning opportunities. Organisations could also lower time pressures through job carving. Originality/value This study extends extant mentoring research by combining insights from perceived organisational support (POS) and self-determination theory (SDT) to examine the role organisational conditions and workplace characteristics play in aiding or hindering volitional mentoring. It enriches extant knowledge management studies on the link between organisational aspects and (intended) knowledge sharing behaviour by showing that similar organisational motivators predict volitional mentoring, thereby launching a call to study knowledge management through volitional mentoring using a SDT- and POS-based lens. A methodological novelty is the reliance on a vignette study.

Women's career advancement has still been a topic of interest in Sub-Sahara Africa. To meet women's professional development requirements and remain competitive, organisations must pay attention to what makes them thrive. Career development involves a series of stages that occur over time, characterised by diverse concerns, themes, and tasks. There is, therefore, the need to document efforts to develop women managers and professionals and get a better understanding of the factors that positively influence women's progress in organisations. This paper reviewed the socioeconomic factors that influence women's career advancement by analysing existing literature to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the advancement of women’s careers. These factors, including stereotyping, biases, preference for family and work-life balance, male-dominant cultures in firms, the glass ceiling effect, lack of training and development opportunities, and their exclusion from networking, are significant impediments to career advancement claimed by women. Other factors such as organisational and government policies, supportive work environment, top management commitment, organisational support system, mentoring, networking, training and development, and organisational culture contribute to women's career advancement. In addition, interventions such as women-specific counselling sessions are held to address work-life balance. Interventions that would contribute to women-specific career advance theories were also identified. The critical issues that emerge from the review about hurdles to women's career advancement and variables that promote their advancement have been highlighted in this study. It is clear that many women who advance to senior positions acknowledge the obstacles posed by attitudes, and stereotypes and tactics have to be put in place to overcome them.

Purpose – Using the lens of mentoring theory the authors test the extent to which public buyers informally support suppliers and the influence of organisational context on mentoring support. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Principal component analysis was used to analyse questionnaire responses from over 300 public buyers in Ireland. Cluster analysis produced three mentor profiles. Findings – The findings show a positive relationship between organisations that take a strategic approach to suppliers and buyers who offer career and psychosocial support to suppliers. However, those organisations that lack a strategic perspective of suppliers saw buyers offer political support and coaching. Research limitations/implications – The implications are that coaching and political support may compensate for deficits in organisational support for suppliers generally. The findings contribute to a growing literature on informal interaction opportunities in public procurement. Originality/value – To date research of supplier development is limited to formal developmental activities and in the context of private sector buyer-supplier relationships.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to contrast how the relationship between career and leadership development and workplace culture is experienced by women in two different countries and the implications this has for human resource development initiatives. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative narrative research design to understand how the lived experiences of Australian and Vietnamese early- to mid-career female academics is engendered. Findings The study identified a number of key barriers and enablers that affected women’s career and leadership development. For the Australian participants, the main barrier included the competing demands of work and life and male dominated organisational cultures that discriminate against women in covert ways. The main enabler was mentoring and the building of professional networks that provided their careers with direction and support. For the Vietnamese participants, the main barriers were overt and included male-dominated organisational and societal cultures that limit their career and leadership development opportunities. The main enabler was having a sponsor or person with power in their respective organisation who would be willing to support their career advancement and gaining recognition from colleagues and peers. Research limitations/implications Gaining a deeper understanding of the barriers and enablers that effect women’s career and leadership development can be used to investigate how culturally appropriate developmental relationships can create ways to overcome the barriers they experience. Originality/value The study analysed the contrasting experiences of barriers and enablers from two cultures. The participants narrated stories that reflected on the gender politics they experienced in their career and leadership development. The narrative comparisons provide a unique lens to analyse the complex cultural experience of gender and work with potential implications for human resource development.

ObjectivesIt is known that women are under-represented in senior positions within the health and medical research sector. The Franklin Women Mentoring Programme (Programme) is a professionally facilitated, cross-organisational initiative designed to support career development for mid-career women. The objective of this study was to evaluate Programme outcomes reported by participants 12 months following its formal conclusion.DesignExplanatory sequential mixed-methods study design using a cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews.SettingHealth and medical research institutes in Sydney, Australia.ParticipantsHealth and medical researchers from the 2018 Programme.Primary and secondary outcome measuresChanges in knowledge, skills, behaviours and research metrics directly attributed to Programme participation.ResultsA total of 50 mentors and mentees participated in the cross-sectional survey (68% of the total cohort) and 14 mentors and mentees participated in the interviews. All reported changes to their knowledge, skills, behaviours and research metrics which were directly attributed to participation in the Programme. This included changes in knowledge and skills to be more inclusive (96% mentees, 83% mentors), resilience (88% mentees, 67% mentors), ability to have difficult workplace conversations (88% mentees, 71% mentors) and improvements in supervisory and team management (82% mentees, 75% mentors) skills. Positive impacts on promotions and grant opportunities were also reported. All evaluation participants believed this Programme was a worthwhile initiative for their workplaces to invest in.ConclusionParticipation in this cross-organisational, professionally facilitated, structured mentoring programme has led to positive outcomes for mentees, as well as mentors. Reported outcomes indicate the Programme is meeting its aims to support the career development of mid-career women in health and medical research, while facilitating a more inclusive workforce.

New teachers have to cope with many issues in the initial phase which discourage them and persuade them to abandon their teaching profession. To transition themselves from a student- teacher to a professional-teacher, the initial years is the critical time of survival for the beginning teacher. It is during this initial phase of their career that they require extra support and caring supervision to adapt easily to their newly chosen roles. The current induction programmes utilised are not adequate enough to successfully evolve the transition of a newcomer teacher into the parent institution. This study utilises the theoretical framework of organisational socialisation and its literature to bridge the gap between teacher transformation and teacher retention, especially engaging the OS Practice of Mentoring. By examining the issues inherent in newcomer-teacher adaptation and the various dimensions of knowledge sharing transition process, from senior teachers (especially HOD) to the juniors in a departmental position, mentoring is found to be the most ideal and effective practice to solve burnout to a great extent, and to ensure successful retention of newcomer teachers. Keywords: Organisational Socialisation, Mentoring, Teacher retention, Newcomer adaptation, transition process.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present how the social learning theory of Bourdieu (1990; Bourdieu and Passeron, 1990) can be a valuable tool to investigate mentoring relationships of beginning teachers with their more experienced colleagues. Bourdieu’s work provides a lens to magnify the social exchanges that occur during the mentoring relationship, so that what tends to be hidden in the “logic of practice” (Bourdieu, 1990) is drawn into view. The paper shows how the mentor is ascribed power that enables domination, and how this tends to result in cultural reproduction. A case study is used to identify aspects of social and cultural learning that demonstrate this process. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on a year-long narrative inquiry of beginning secondary teachers’ mentoring experiences in the state of Victoria, Australia. The data were generated through in-depth interviews and participants’ diary entries to answer the research question “What personal, professional knowledge is developed through beginning teachers’ early experiences with induction and mentoring?” Findings The researcher found that attention to minutiae of mentor/mentee interactions can suggest how symbolic violence shapes personal, professional knowledge. Research limitations/implications This small-scale study has some limitations. However, as an illustration of organisational learning, with strong connections to Bourdieu’s theoretical work, it can provide some illuminating insights into how policy can be enacted at the micro-level. In particular, there are implications for how mentor teachers engage in their roles and understand the potential impact of their interactions with beginning teachers. Originality/value This study applies Bourdieu’s framework of cultural reproduction as an analysis tool for a qualitative study of the mentoring of beginning teachers.

ObjectiveThis study aims to (1) assess the perceived need for a postdoctoral (post-doc) mentoring programme in rheumatology, (2) describe the characteristics and organisational aspects of a pilot mentoring programme implemented by the EMerging European League Against Rheumatism NETwork (EMEUNET) and (3) report mentors’ and mentees’ evaluation of the pilot programme.MethodsAn online survey was conducted among young researchers in rheumatology to evaluate the need and preferred characteristics of a post-doc mentoring initiative. Informed by the survey, a pilot programme was designed and launched. The pilot programme was evaluated with 3-month, 6-moth and 12-month surveys and interviews with mentees and a 12-month survey among mentors, after completion.ResultsFrom 275 responses (43 countries, 86% from Europe) collected, analyses were restricted to the target population (total population=158; post-docs (n=103 (65%)) and PhD students (n=55 (35%))). There was a clear need (99% positive responses) for a post-doc mentoring programme. Discussions about current and new projects, and how to lead projects were ranked as priorities in post-doc mentoring. The most desired mentor attribute was generosity and interest in helping (86%), followed by research experience (68%) and having a well-established network (66%). The pilot programme included four mentees (through competitive application) allocated to three mentors. Evaluation surveys and interviews revealed that the programme organisation and content were well appreciated by mentees and mentors.ConclusionsThe EMEUNET post-doc mentoring programme addresses unmet need for mentoring, is viable and appreciated by mentors and mentees. The programme structure and content are transferable to other fields where there is need for academic career mentoring.

Published Article
A growing scholarship links good leadership with in-house mentoring. This article looks at how well-performing school leaders benefitted from the inhouse mentoring they received. The author reports on a qualitative investigation based on in-depth individual interviews with six primary school leaders from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Northwest Provence who were purposefully selected based on their receiving a national award for excellence in leadership. These awards were made by the Department of Basic Education in the category 'Excellence in primary school leadership'. The findings show that in-house mentoring benefitted participants holistically through behavioural, knowledge and skills acquisition. Behavioural acquisition included being humble and empathetic towards constructive work performance. Knowledge and skills acquisition related to sustaining the standard of teaching of core subjects, relying on committee input in a relational leadership approach and ensuring a dedicated teacher corps and positive parent involvement. The findings contribute to the discourse on inhouse mentoring for improved school leadership practice.

Les organisations font face aujourd’hui à des transformations endémiques, rapides et intenses. Les académiques comme les praticiens soulignent l’importance de l’accompagnement des salariés dans l’acceptation de ces mutations. En ce sens, le mentoring s’avère être un allié qui prend un essor certain. Néanmoins, les recherches s’intéressant au développement du capital de carrière des salariés lors d’un programme de mentoring sont quasiment absentes. Cette thèse s’attache à étudier l’émergence d’un objet de recherche inédit dans la littérature francophone, celui de l’«expérience mentorale». Elle se propose d’interroger sa conceptualisation et ses composantes dans le but d’étudier le développement du capital de carrière des mentors et des mentees. Sous un prisme qualitatif, ce travail repose sur une étude de cas exploratoire de deux réseaux appartenant au Groupe SNCF et comportant chacun un programme de mentoring. Notre étude révèle qu’une expérience mentorale «aboutie» conduit au développement d’une autoréflexivité et d’une réflexivité critique qui assurent la combinaison et l’interaction entre les compétences de carrière. Cette expérience pallie le manque d’accompagnement de l’entreprise et contribue à une meilleure appréhension de la carrière du mentee et du mentor. Du côté de l’organisation, elle accompagne le changement et contribue à son accélération, renforce l’adaptabilité des salariés, et fait apparaître des Communautés de Pratique unies
Endemic transformations translate an undeniable organizational reality nowadays. Academics and practitioners alike point to the importance of supporting employees in accepting these changes. Therefore, mentoring is an ally that is gaining momentum. However, research investigating the development of career capital during a mentoring program is almost non-existent. This thesis aims to study the emergence of a new research area in the French literature: the mentoring experience. We propose to examine its conceptualization and components in order to study the development of the career capital of mentees and mentors. From a qualitative perspective, this work is based on an exploratory case study of two networks belonging to the SNCF Group, each with their own mentoring program. Our study reveals that a "successful" mentoring experience leads to the development of self-reflexivity and critical reflexivity that ensure interaction between career competencies. This experience makes up for the company's lack of support and contributes to a better understanding of the mentees and mentors’ careers. On the organizational side, it accelerates the company’s change, strengthens the adaptability of its employees, and creates united communities of practice

Few studies have examined the extent to which mentoring and networking supports have assisted women in developing their careers in male dominated sport organisations where men have traditionally held the reins of power. This current study explores the value of mentoring and networking from a woman‟s perspective in senior and middle management positions at the Australian Football League (AFL). Research has revealed many personal, career and social challenges faced by women employed in management positions, particularly where men dominate the organisations‟ operations (Coleman, 2011; Sturges, 1999; Cha, 2013; Bierema, 2005; Heilman, 2012; Linehan, Scullion & Walsh, 2001). Research for this current study comprised semi-structured interviews with 19 women in senior and middle management positions in the AFL. The data was used to determine the effectiveness and impact of mentoring and networking on career development of women managers in a sports organisation. Data was coded manually and using computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS). The CAQDAS software program used as part of this research was NVivo. The manual and CAQDAS helped to identify key nodes and sub-nodes. Results revealed that when mentoring was well structured and ongoing, it enabled participants to not only appreciate the organisation‟s formal authority relations and communication structures, it also assisted in developing an awareness of its operating culture, informal networks and power relations. Results also revealed networking was unavoidable and came with a wide range of benefits. Findings from this current study expanded knowledge on social capital theory and have the potential to enhance existing, and shape new formal mentoring programs incorporated at the AFL.

Försvarsmakten har specificerat personalen som sin kanske viktigaste resurs. Tidigare flygvapenchefen poängterade det mycket bra med att i sin värdegrundspolicy uttrycka att vi ”inte har råd att bara rekrytera ur halva befolkningen”. Det han då hade i åtanke var faktumet att vår arbetsgivare brister i att attrahera och behålla medarbetare som är kvinnor. I den kontexten kan man identifiera att Försvarsmakten behöver nyttja sin befintliga personal på bästa sätt. Vi vill undersöka hur flygvapnet kan nära personalens ambitioner att utvecklas till att bli det bästa de kan bli. Vi har med ett öppet sinne sökt svaren till vilka faktorer som påverkar och möjliggör en framgångsrik väg genom den yrkesverksamma delen av livet. De individer i vårt samhälle som vi valt att fokusera på har valt Försvarsmakten som arbetsplats och officer som yrke. Studien har en induktiv ansats, där empirin hämtas från både kvalitativa intervjuer och workshops. Genom hela arbetet har vi inspirerats av grounded theory som metod. Vi som forskare har en förförståelse för ämnet och har på ett naturligt sätt haft en god kontakt med de individer som deltagit i studien. Referensramen har hämtats från olika delar av forskningsfältet. Främst från organisationsteorier och organisationspsykologi. För att se helheten har vi använt Bolman & Deals organisationsteori, Brown & Brooks som utvecklar olika karriärteorier och Mintzberg som kompletterar med strukturmodeller. Från Försvarsmakten har vi tagit befintliga styrdokument och använt, av Försvarsmakten, anlitade företags teoretiska grund för karriärutveckling. För att konstruera vår sammanfattande modell har vi utgått från två etablerade modeller, en av Super (The Life-Career Rainbow: Six Life Roles in Schematic Life Space) och Schein (A Temporal Development Model). Utifrån empirin framträdde tre tydliga teman i vad som officeren fann som viktigast i förutsättningar till att vilja bygga sin karriär. Coaching, där tydlig feedback från chef och kollegor är en viktig ingrediens tillsammans med möjligheter och målinriktning. Livspusslet bygger på att kombinera arbetet med det övriga livet. Familj och fritid ska även fungera på ett balanserat sätt i förhållande till arbetsbelastning. Avtal och Försvarsmaktens geografiska spridning är andra områden som hämmar individen. Strategisk personalplan ses som en av framgångsfaktorerna för att locka och ge individen bra förutsättning för chefskarriären. För att underlätta för både organisation och individ krävs en symbios emellan dessa två. I karriären vi ser som önskvärd finns en långsiktighet och en metodiskt iterativ utveckling av både organisation och individ. Vidare har vi sett att en central personalplanerare får ett perspektiv som gynnar båda intressenterna i detta sammanhang.  Det har varit en spännande resa som har gett oss många intryck att ta med i framtiden. Vi har lärt oss om det faktiska ämnet men minst lika mycket om rollen som forskare och metoder för att tillgodogöra oss information och att förhålla oss till densamma. Vi har funnit en del väntade svar men också en hel del oväntade faktorer som i stort och smått påverkar de respondenter vi mött under vår resa. Vi har fått bekräftat vår uppfattning om ledningsgruppers sammansättning, lärt oss om vikten av mentorering på olika nivåer och hur mycket en organisationsstruktur med tydlighet värderas. Att den sociala delen av livet är viktig har vi egna erfarenheter av men att komma till insikt om samspelet som gör helheten var vi inte riktigt beredda på. Vi har valt att i en modell likna den här helheten vid en hybridkonstruktion där varje del är, likt en hybridbil, en motor samtidigt som en generator. För den med endast ett visst intresse för teknik så kan liknelsen ge en insikt om att varje del tillåts belasta en till del men också att batteriet ibland behöver laddas. Den moderna syn som växt fram hur samspelet fungerar idag har sin grund hos Frone och den integrativa modellen. Han menar att familj kan fungera som buffert mot stress genom att ge stöd och möjlighet till avkoppling lika väl som att familjen kan generera stress som påverkar arbetet Vi har under arbetet skiftat från en tydlig uppfattning om att grundutbildningen ger oss en, i viss mån, förutbestämd förutsättning för vidare karriär. Delvis har den uppfattningen bekräftats men inte på det sättet som vi förutspådde. Vi förväntade oss att finna strukturella tydligheter som med historik och ”gammal hävd” gjorde att en pilot i Flygvapnet på något sätt har en enklare och tydligare väg uppåt i hierarkin. Det stämmer, men det finns saker bakom kulisserna som vi inte var medvetna om. Det handlar om att välja medarbetare som liknar en själv och vi har sett det med all önskvärd tydlighet på fler olika platser och nivåer inte bara med just den kategorin. Det finns mer bakom, det finns processer som en chef bör medvetandegöras. Det finns påverkansfaktorer som inte går att bortse från då de i så fall omöjliggör för en stor del av vår personal att bidra på det sätt de har kapacitet till. Vi anser att vår organisation inte har lyxen att INTE ta till vara på de resurser vi har.
The Armed Forces have specified personnel as their perhaps most important resource. As the former Air Force Supreme Commander very well pointed in expressing “we can´t afford to recruit from half of the population". What he had in mind was the fact that the Swedish Armed Forces are not very good at attracting and retaining female employees. However, in this context it is possible to identify that the defense force needs to utilize its entire existing staff in the best possible way. We want to investigate how the Air Force can enthuse the personnel's ambitions and develop them to become all they can be. We have with an open mind sought the answers to what affects and enables a successful path through the professional part of life. The individuals in our society that we have chosen to focus on have chosen the Swedish Armed Forces as a workplace and Officer as a profession. The case study has an inductive approach, where the empiricism is derived from both qualitative interviews and workshops. Throughout the work we have been inspired by grounded theory as a method. We as researchers have had a certain understanding of the subject and naturally have had good contact with the individuals who participated in the study. The frame of reference has been taken from various parts of the research field. Mainly from organizational theories and organizational psychology. To see the whole, we have used Bolman & Deal organizational theory, Brown & Brooks who develop different career theories and Mintzberg who supplement with structural models. From the Armed Forces, we have taken existing governance documents and used, by the Armed Forces, the companies' theoretical basis for career development. To construct our model, we have based on two established models, one of Super (The Life-Career Rainbow: Six Life Roles in Schematic Life Space) and Schein (A Temporal Development Model). Based on the empiricism, three clear themes emerged in what the officer found to be most important in the conditions for wanting to build his career. Coaching, where clear feedback from the manager and colleagues is an important ingredient along with opportunities and goals. In the Life Puzzle it is important to get together work with the rest of life. Family and leisure should also function in a balanced way in relation to workload. Agreements and the Armed Forces' geographical distribution are other areas that hamper the individual. Strategic personnel plan is seen as one of the success factors for attracting and giving the individual a good basis for the managerial career. To facilitate both organization and individual, a symbiosis between these two is required. In the career model we have built there is a long-term perspective and a methodically iterative development of both organization and individual. Furthermore, we have seen that a central staff planner has a perspective that benefits both stakeholders in this context. It has been an exciting journey that has given us a lot, we have learned about the actual subject but also about the role of researcher and provided us with information and means to relate to it. We have found some expected answers, but also a lot of unexpected factors that affect the respondents. We have confirmed our view on the composition of management groups and learned about the importance of mentoring at different levels and how much an organizational structure is clearly valued. The social part of life is important but we have now also an understanding of the interaction that makes the whole. We have chosen to create a model to resemble this in a hybrid design where each part is, like a hybrid car, an engine at the same time as a generator. For those with only a certain interest in technology, we think that the parable gives an insight that each part can be allowed to propel but also that it sometimes needs to charge its battery. The modern view that has emerged how the interaction works today has its foundation in Frone and the integrative model. He believes that family can act as a buffer against stress by providing support and opportunities for relaxation as well as that the family can generate more stress that affects the work. During the duration of the work, we have shifted from a clear perception that the basic training and undergraduate education gives us a certain predetermined condition for further career. In part, this view has been confirmed, but not in the way we assumed. We expected to find structural clarity that, with history and "old claims", made a pilot in the Air Force somehow have a clearer path up the hierarchy. That's correct, but there are things behind the scenes that we weren't aware of. This is a story about choosing employees who are similar to yourself and we have seen it. We have seen it with all the desirable clarity in several different places and levels, not just with that particular category. There is more behind the scenes, there are processes that a manager should make conscious. There are influencing factors that cannot be ignored as they in this case make it impossible for a large part of our staff to contribute in the way they have capacity. We believe that our organization does not have the luxury of NOT utilizing the resources we have.