Critical issues in mentoring research

Introduction Research into the activity of mentoring has grown at a significant rate in the last twenty years (Allen, Eby, O’Brien & Lentz, 2008; Janssen, Vuuren & Jong, 2015) as has the range of inter-disciplinary subjects associated with mentoring, such as business, education, entrepreneurship, nursing and psychology (De Four, Pegg & Beck, 2015; Kochan, 2013; Laukhuf & Malone, 2015; Underhill, 2006). Allen et al.’s (2008) review of organizational mentoring literature – consisting of two hundred and seven individual research studies, published in sixty different journals acknowledged the growing interest and research on the topic of mentoring. The authors attributed this to the increasing recognition that formal and informal mentoring is associated with behavioral, attitudinal and career benefits for mentees and mentors (Allen et al., 2004; Eby et al., 2008; Ghosh & Reio, 2013). Additionally, over the last ten years there have been an increasing number of evaluations of mentoring research processes and practices (Allen et al., 2008; Bozeman & Feeney, 2007; Janssen, Vuuren & Jong, 2015; Kammeyer-Mueller & Judge, 2008; Underhill, 2006). A broad range of mentoring studies are explored in this chapter within the context of identifying the critical issues involved in assuring the quality of mentoring research. Purpose and Overview The aim of this chapter is to provide an in-depth analysis of the critical issues related to the quality of research processes and strategies used in contemporary inter-disciplinary scholarly literature in mentoring. Further, it seeks to expand researcher and practitioner perspectives about this issues that will ultimately enhance the research about and practice of mentoring. The chapter begins with an outline of the process used to identify critical issues in assuring quality in mentoring research. This is followed by a discussion of each of the eight critical issues identified through this process, referring to specific studies that illustrate the degree to which quality is achieved. The final section posits the way ahead for mentoring research

Business strategy and the environment Tesco Plc's declining financial performance and underlying issues

The case presents a teaching tool which requires students to: 1) analyze the financial performance of Tesco Plc over the last four years; 2) compare Tesco’s market position with key competitors; 3) identify and evaluate Tesco’s business strategy; 4) evaluate the causes of Tesco’s decline in performance; 5) develop recommendations to address declining performance; 6) identify and evaluate the Human Resource strategic role in addressing and supporting performance. The case is suitable for a business strategy or human resource strategy class. The case is appropriate for use at the undergraduate or masters level. Students should have some familiarity with business and human resource management strategy before being assigned to the case. Students might be assigned to work individually or in teams on the project. Individuals or groups may be required to present their research to the class for discussion and comment. Six to ten hours outside of class should be required to complete the case study exercise. Classroom discussion should be between two to three hours

Talent management and developing leadership talent

An important aspect of talent management in the contemporary organization is the investment and development of leaders including leadership development. Developing leadership talent is viewed as a key lever in delivering competitive advantage in business today. Leadership can be viewed from multiple perspectives: as a personality with special traits or characteristics; an act or behavior shown by the leader; the capability, knowledge, and skills demonstrated by the leader; the process used by the leader to bring groups together; or transformative change and the power relationship that exists between leaders and followers. In essence, developing leadership talent is a multi-layered process, ideally involving a blended learning approach that incorporates formal, informal, and experiential learning. The development of the leader as an individual focuses on building and enhancing the individual's capability to undertake the role of a leader. A key aspect of leader development is that “it is ultimately about facilitating an identity transition” to create new leadership options

Evidence on education to career transitions in the financial and accountancy sector

The aim of this pilot project was three-fold: 1) create a learning intervention with the aim of developing priority employability skills for first year undergraduate students as determined within the financial services and accountancy sector; 2) explore the participants’ experience of the programme content; 3) identify recommendations for future schemes. The United Kingdom (UK) Financial and Legal Skills Partnership (FLSP) developed a platform to provide mentoring and skills development across financial services and accountancy. Known as “Get In Get On” (GIGO), the FLSP’S virtual work experience comprises two discreet though interdependent features: 1) skills and knowledge development; 2) e-career mentoring. Between February 2014 and April 2014, twenty eight mentees and mentors (from Middlesex University and supportive organisations/individuals) participated in the scheme. The pilot evaluation suggests that there is reciprocal learning for students and professional mentors within the context of the accounting and finance profession. Students have benefitted from a heighted awareness of the career opportunities available in the sector and how their studies may assist them in developing their key employability attributes. Feedback suggests that the scheme has greatest benefit for students entering higher education, with a view to preparing them for future employment

Green human resource management: a comparative qualitative case study of a United States multinational corporation

This article explores the ways in which a multinational company (MNC) approaches Green Human Resource Management (HRM) in its British, German and Swedish subsidiaries. The authors analyze the similarities and differences in Green HRM approaches in these three European subsidiaries of a US restaurant chain. This enables the comparison of Green HRM practises and behaviors, and considers the factors that influence the subsidiaries in this particular domain. Therefore, this research addresses the current lack of international comparative research in the field of Green HRM. The methodological approach is multi-case study with 50 participants, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The results show evidence of pro-active environmental management, reflected through a range of operational and people-centred initiatives across the three European countries. Although there is an overarching commitment to environmental sustainability, the positioning and alignment of the environment and HR function differ amongst the subsidiaries, as does the way in which the subsidiaries choose to engage the workforce in environmental sustainability. The study identified a number of factors which explain the differences in approach including, amongst others, strategic and performance drivers and cultural dimensions, such as relationships with key stakeholders

The ethos of action learning within a virtual Reflective Practice Forum: an account of practice drawing connections between action learning, community of practice and supervision frameworks

As Action Learning has evolved, it has been adapted to promote learning in various contexts. In this account of practice, we share our perspectives as facilitators of the application of action learning principles within Reflective Practice Forums for Mentoring and Coaching Programme Managers. The ethos of action learning was adopted with the forums to enable the programme managers to engage in regular reflections of their current practices and ongoing professional development. In our assessment of the application of action learning principles and processes within the Reflective Practice Forums, we consider the connections between action learning, communities of practice and supervision frameworks to examine and present the ‘ethos’ of Action Learning within the forums

Monitoring and evaluating business mentoring: towards a research and evaluation toolkit to measure impact

This paper presents a Research and Evaluation Toolkit (RET) which has applicability to mentoring programmes in all sectors and organizational contexts. The RET offers a practical guide for human resource development practitioners engaged in evaluation of learning and development programmes and more specifically, mentoring. The RET was a key outcome of a global 2.5-year impact evaluation project with Youth Business International and Middlesex University Business School, evaluating the impact of volunteer business mentoring on under-served young entrepreneurs and their business ventures. This paper brings to the forefront the importance of integrating a measurement and evaluation strategy from the initial mentoring programme design phase and ongoing management. Despite the growing number of survey reports and studies that highlight the importance of this aspect of mentoring programme design and management, measurement and evaluation continues to be one of the most challenging areas. As such, this paper contributes to our understanding concerning the role and effectiveness of ongoing monitoring and evaluation in relation to demonstrating the impact of human resource development interventions and provides a practical approach for practitioners to develop and enhance their evaluation strategy and methods. Key words: research and evaluation, business mentoring, impac

Public sector mentoring scheme: exploring the development and delivery of mentoring programmes through a multi-stakeholder perspective

Power Point presentation on Public Sector Developmental Mentoring Scheme given at the 19th Annual Mentoring and Coaching Conference, 2012