Intra-organizational Mentorship Revisited

Abstract

At a time when the workforce has never been more diverse, short-term assignments, virtual organizations, the gig economy, flat hierarchies, and “#metoo” make it more difficult to find mentors. Employees can find themselves shut out of success as they make fundamental mistakes. Grounding in topics like ethics, values, personal image, and interpersonal dynamics is lost. This paper explores research on mentorship and when the mentor and protégé connect across diversity attributes. The mentor may even place the needs of the protégé above the needs of the firm. This paper finally proposes some issues that disrupt the development of mentoring relationships.