Page 309 - Psychological Management of Individual Performance

overview: the concept of mentoring 295
In addition to personal development and rewards, mentoring may promote organiza-
tionallydesirableoutcomes.Forexample,researchfindingsshowthatmentoringsupports
organizational goals due to the beneficial effects of learning (Lankau, 1996). Realization
of mentoring benefits takes place over time as the relationship progresses (Chao, 1997;
Kram, 1983; Orpen, 1995). Therefore, mentoring has traditionally been regarded as a rel-
atively long-term relationship, which moves through developmental phases and provides
specific forms of assistance to the prot´eg´e, which have been labeled mentoring functions.

MENTORING FUNCTIONS
Mentoring has been categorized as providing two broad classes of functions: Career
development and psychosocial support (Kram, 1985). In career development, mentors
provide vocational support, such as coaching, advising and visibility for their prot´eg´es
(Kram, 1985). As a career coach, the mentor counsels the prot´eg´e on how to pursue
and develop his/her career. As a sponsor, a mentor may advance the prot´eg´e’s career by
nominating him or her for promotion. Through exposure and visibility, such as contact
and interaction with key players in the organization, opportunities for the prot´eg´eto
demonstrate competence and special talents are enhanced and opportunities for chal-
lenging work assignments are assured. The mentor may also be a protector and try to
minimize prot´eg´e involvement in situations that may be political or controversial. The
mentor may also provide technical support and advice on specific skill development.
This advice may be either task-related or focus on interpersonal skills.
In the psychosocial role, the mentor provides social support, serving as a confidant
and friend. Psychosocial functions address interpersonal aspects of the mentoring rela-
tionship and enhance a prot´eg´e’s sense of competence, self-efficacy, and professional
and personal development. Whereas career development functions focus on the prot´eg´e’s
career in the organization, psychosocial functions involve relating to the prot´eg´eona
more personal level and extend to other spheres of life, such as the prot´eg´e’s personal
development. Mentoring may thus serve as a buffer in alleviating work-related stress
(Allen, McManus, & Russell, 1999; Baugh, Lankau, & Scandura, 1996).
The mentor may also serve as a role model providing inspiration to the prot´eg´e. As a
role model, the prot´eg´e learns appropriate behavior by observing the mentor’s conduct.
Prot´eg´es have someone to measure their behavior against and a model of success to aspire
toward in the future. Role modeling may be seen as a more passive form of psychosocial
mentoring (as conceptualized by Kram, 1985). However, role modeling has been shown
to emerge as a separate and distinct mentoring function in some studies (Burke, 1984;
Fagenson-Eland et al., 1997; Lankau, 1996; Scandura, 1992; Williams, 1999).

MENTORING PHASES

Mentoring relationships are conceptualized to be relationships of long duration [up to
5 years or more according to Kram (1985)]. Research has shown that often there is sub-
stantial emotional commitment by both parties over this extended time, and that these
relationships evolve in distinct phases. Kram (1983) identified four stages: initiation, cul-
tivation, separation, and redefinition. The initiation phase is the first stage and typically
lasts six months to one year. During this time, the relationship gets started and both the