Max Rapp Ricciardi and Trevor Archer
The purpose of the present study was: 1) to evaluate workplace mentoring programs from the perspectives of the mentors and protégés. 2) To compare the evolution of three mentoring programs 3) to contribute to the development of the theoretical field of mentorship. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used and data was collected during a five year period at an international company. The results showed that the majority of the mentors and protégés were satisfied mainly with how the mentoring programs provided personal growth and learning. The separation between junior employees and senior employees in the mentoring programs has decreased over the year’s concomitant with a strengthening of organizational culture. It was noted not only that the protégés need to be inspired, but also that mentors need inspiration as well. Resilient relationship between mentors and protégés may occur only if the gain is mutual over time. One conclusion pertains to the necessity of designing mentor programs that will contribute to the mentors’ as well as the protégées’ development. A model is presented that indicates how this development may be accomplished.