Examining gender similarity and mentor's supervisory status in mentoring relationships

This study examined the influence of mentor's status (supervisor vs. non-supervisor) and gender similarity (homogeneous vs. diversified) of mentor-protege dyads on protege's perception of mentoring functions and outcomes. We collected and analyzed data from 217 mentor-protege dyads comprised of working professionals from a variety of industries. Results of MANCOVA indicated that supervisory mentors provided more career development functions than non-supervisory mentors. Mentor-protege gender similarity and mentor's supervisory status interacted to influence psychosocial support, career development, and career satisfaction. Key findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research and career counseling in industry and education.