Like second-hand smoke, racial discrimination at work can affect bystanders

But good mentors can buffer employees from the negative effects of workplace racism, write Belle Rose Ragins, Kyle Ehrhardt, Karen S. Lyness, Dianne Murphy and John Capma

The Effects of Sex and Gender Role Orientation on Mentorship in Male-Dominated Occupations

This study examined the relative impact of sex and gender role orientation on the development and functions of mentoring relationships in Certified Public Accounting, a male-dominated occupation. Results showed that biological sex was not related to mentoring, yet gender role orientation was significantly related to having a mentor and mentor functions. Individuals with androgynous sex role orientations reported more mentorship functions than individuals with feminine or masculine orientations. Implications and areas for future research are discussed

Burden or Blessing? Expected Costs and Benefits of Being a Mentor

We investigated the relationship between anticipated costs and benefits of being a mentor, mentoring experience, and intentions to mentor among a sample of 275 executives. Individuals lacking mentoring experience anticipated greater costs and fewer benefits than experienced individuals. Anticipated costs and benefits were related to intentions to mentor, and this relationship varied by mentoring experience. The results suggest that mentoring may be an intergenerational process

The way we were: Gender and the termination of mentoring relationships

The relationship between gender and the termination of mentoring relationships was assessed in a matched sample of 142 male and female ex-proteg&. Counter to prevailing assumptions, when gender differences in rank, salary, tenure, and other demographic and organizational variables were controlled, women did not differ from men in the number or duration of prior relationships or in their reasons for terminating the relationship. Mentoring relationships have been shown to be an im-portant determinant in career success and advancement. Mentors are generally defined as individuals with ad-vanced experience and knowledge who are committed to providing upward support and mobility to their proteges' careers (Hunt & Michael, 1983; Kram, 1985). Research has indicated that individuals with mentors receive more promotions (Dreher & Ash, 1990), have higher incomes (Dreher & Ash, 1990), and report more career satisfactio