Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences
Volume 7, No. 2, 2009
Pages 143-153
DOI: 10.36108/ijss/9002.70.0260
Group Differences in the Resolve to Mentor of Potential Mentors
David E. Okurame
Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
This study examines the resolve to mentor of individuals with no mentors, with male mentors, and with female mentors, using a sample of 70 male and 70 female potential mentors in the Nigerian work environment. Descriptive statistics showed that the greatest level of resolve to mentor was made by respondents in the female mentor group, followed by those in the male mentor group; the least was by respondents in the no mentor group. Results of one way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in resolve to mentor of respondents in these groups. The source of the significant difference was the low resolve to mentor in the no mentor group compared to the high level recorded in the female mentor category. Generally, male respondents in each of the study groups reported a higher level of resolve to mentor than their female counterparts. These findings are discussed in the context of mentoring and goal commitment literature. The study represents the first enquiry of a potential mentor’s resolve to mentor. The practical implication of findings is that individuals will be more resolute to serve as mentors if organizations create a pleasant mentoring experience for them by training their mentors, especially male mentors, in the act of effective delivery of mentoring. Findings further suggest that better incentive to serve as mentors is possible through a reward policy and a training package to improve perceptions of mentor benefits, especially among female potential mentors who were less resolute to mentor.
Keywords: potential mentors, mentoring role, gender, resolve to mentor, managers