Mentoring Experience, Perceived Benefits, and Impact on Current Job Ranking in African-American Accountants

• In Event: Public Interest 2

Abstract

This paper examines the associations between gender and mentorship experiences and the association in gender and the perceived benefits of mentorship among African-American. Then, it analyzes the impact of mentorship on current job rankings to learn the potential for improving the use of mentorship to increase diversity in the accounting profession. The paper finds that there are associations between gender and: (1) current job ranking, (2) the quantity of mentors that the respondents considered beneficial, (3) the nature of the beneficial mentoring- formal, informal, or both, and (4) the advocacy support received from their mentors. Both African-American females and males perceived similar benefits of mentorship in their current work environment and had similar opinion on whether a powerful mentor is an important success factor. The multivariate test’s results show that the quantity of beneficial mentoring experiences and having informal mentors contributes have positive effects on current job rankings. However, the perceptions on mentoring benefits in their current workplace do not have any effect on current job rankings.

Authors

• Lucy Lim, Howard University

• Allyson Clarke, Howard University

• Frank Ross, Howard University