How Mentors Learn: Relationship Quality, Self-Efficacy, and Mentor Knowledge
Astrove, S. L., & Kraimer, M. L. (2022). What and how do mentors learn? The role of relationship quality and mentoring self-efficacy in mentor learning. Personnel Psychology, 75(2), 485–513. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12471
Introduction
Astrove and Kraimer (2022) examine how mentors themselves learn through mentoring relationships. Drawing from social cognitive theory and relational mentoring perspectives, they explore how relationship quality and mentoring self-efficacy influence mentors’ acquisition of knowledge. Specifically in three areas regarding mentoring-specific, relational, occupational-specific, and self-knowledge.
Methods
The researchers conducted a longitudinal field study across three time periods with faculty from North American universities (n = 199) who mentored doctoral students for at least six months. They measured relationship quality, mentoring self-efficacy, and three distinct types of knowledge learned from mentoring (additionally, a fourth type – occupational-specific knowledge – was identified through qualitative coding).
Results
The authors found that relationship quality positively predicted both career and psychosocial mentoring self-efficacy. Both forms of mentoring self-efficacy were positively related to occupational-specific knowledge acquisition. Contrary to hypotheses, career mentoring self-efficacy mediated a negative relationship between relationship quality and mentoring-specific knowledge, and relationship quality had a direct negative effect on relational knowledge.
Discussion
The authors conclude that mentoring is a reciprocal learning process through which mentors gain multiple forms of knowledge. High-quality mentoring relationships enhance career and psychosocial mentoring self-efficacy, which in turn supports occupational-specific knowledge acquisition. However, contrary to expectations, mentoring-specific, relational, and self-knowledge were more likely to emerge through behavioral change intentions, particularly in lower-quality relationships. Together, the findings highlight that mentors learn through both high-quality and challenging relationships, advancing theoretical understanding of mentor development and informing mentoring practice.
Implications for Mentoring Programs
Mentoring programs should recognize that mentors learn from both high-quality and challenging relationships. Training that strengthens career and psychosocial mentoring self-efficacy can support occupational-specific learning, while structured reflection can help mentors grow from difficult experiences by encouraging behavioral adaptation.
Read the full paper here
