Motivational Factors to be a Mentor in Formal Mentoring in Organisations. The Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in the Propensity to Mentor

Małota Wioletta ()
Additional contact information
Małota Wioletta: Collegium Civitas, Defilad Square, Warsaw 00-901, Poland

Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, 2017, vol. 25, issue 4, 119-143

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the motivational factors of propensity to be a mentor by managers in a formal mentoring in organisations. The author addresses the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and examines their relation to the propensity to mentor. The second objective was to critically analyse whether managers deciding to mentor do so for egoistic or altruistic reasons - for self-benefits or others’ benefits. The third task concentrates on the role of extrinsic motivational factors, especially additional remuneration on the propensity to mentor. Methodology: For this study, the author applied quantitative research among Polish managers working in medium and large size organisations. The author examines the correlation between dependent and independent variables and addresses the impact of control variables as moderators. Findings: First, the results support managers’ high propensity to mentor in a formal mentoring programme. Second, the study finds that intrinsic motivation was the salient factor taken into consideration in the propensity to mentor, whereas extrinsic motivation exerted very little influence. Third, the study confirms a pattern of motivational pluralism based on the fact that both kinds of intrinsic motivators in the propensity to mentor - for the benefit of oneself or others - appear equally significant. Fourth, the research finds that additional remuneration does not motivate managers to mentor. No moderation effects of age, gender, kind of organisation and carrier level on the propensity to mentor were observed. Research implications: The confirmation of Polish managers’ high propensity to mentor contradicts conventional wisdom in some organisations that managers overloaded with work are unwilling to mentor. The finding that managers want to be mentors may encourage organisations to implement mentoring programmes without fear of a shortage of prospective mentors. Based on observed behaviour and the importance of motivational factors, this study delivers valuable guidelines on the recruitment and selection of mentors for HR departments. The results that managers exclusively follow intrinsic motivation in the propensity to mentor should be considered in designing the methodology of mentors’ selection.

Keywords: organizational mentoring; propensity to mentor; motivational pluralism; extrinsic and intrinsic motivation; mentoring culture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.7206/jmba.ce.2450-7814.210 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:jmbace:v:25:y:2017:i:4:p:119-143:n:6

DOI: 10.7206/jmba.ce.2450-7814.210

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe is currently edited by Pawel Korzynski

More articles in Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe from Sciendo
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Peter Golla ().