What Transpires During Formal Mentoring? A Multisource Study

The use of formal mentoring programs continues to grow (Allen, Eby, & Lentz, 2006), yet relatively little research has been completed on their effectiveness and what transpires during the receipt of formal mentoring. The purpose of this study is to examine the topics discussed during a formal mentoring relationship, the potential differences in outcomes based upon mentoring type (e.g., traditional, peer), and factors related to satisfaction with a formal mentor. Multisource archival data for 746 mentor-protégé dyads participating in a global manufacturing corporation’s formal mentoring program was examined. Contrary to previous research which found low levels of agreement between mentors and protégés on the nature of their relationships, we found great similarities between perceptions of mentors and protégés about the topics discussed during the relationship. Moreover, mentors at a higher rank or an equal rank to the protégé tended to discuss more topics than mentors at a lower rank. Mentor rank, however, was not significantly related to the protégé’s satisfaction.