Maximizing Mentoring Relationships: How Structure Influences Outcomes

• In Event: Perceptions from Practice

Abstract

Many public accounting firms consider mentoring programs to be a critical strategy for developing and supporting employees, resulting in improved performance and greater retention of professionals. We examine mentoring relationships in a large public accounting firm to provide additional insights on how program structure may influence outcomes. We find that accounting professionals who have a mentor report both lower turnover intentions and higher career aspirations. Those in mentoring relationships with an informal origin report significantly higher scores for mentoring functions than those whose mentors were assigned through a formal firm program. Moreover, being in a pairing of informal origin is especially important to female protégés. Protégés paired with same-gender mentors report significantly higher scores for mentoring functions than those in cross-gender relationships and being in a same-gender pairing is especially important for male protégés. Higher scores on mentoring functions relate to increased job satisfaction and job performance as well as lower turnover intentions. These results can guide firms in supporting mentoring programs to provide the maximum benefits to both women and men.

Authors

• Cynthia P Guthrie, Bucknell University

• Ambrose Jones, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro