4669 
5929While mentorship promotes the individual development of protégés and the value of enterprise interests, the disorder phenomena of " church protégés, starving mentors” " mentors are unwilling to train protégés” " hold back a trick or two in teaching a trade or skill” " nepotistic or gangs between mentors and protégés” and so on are commonplace. The research on dysfunctional mentorship is a key frontier subject in the study on enterprise mentorship. According to the relevant literature and social network analysis methods, this paper clarifies and defines the concept and characteristics of dysfunctional mentorship. From the perspective of the guiding subject, dysfunctional mentorship includes apprentices’ perception disorder and mentors’ perception disorder; from the perspective of content transfer, dysfunctional mentorship includes knowledge hoarding, knowledge exclusion, and economic cost differences. Meanwhile, through a systematic review of existing research, this paper finds that the formation of dysfunctional mentorship is composed of four aspects of capacity characteristics: individual level factors, mentor-protégé exchange level factors, task level factors, and organizational level factors. Among them, the individual level includes personality trait factors and individual impression management strategies; the mentor-protégé exchange level includes the homology and consistency of the mentoring, the interpersonal reciprocity of the mentoring and the form of mentorship; the task level includes task characteristics and task binding commitment; the organizational level includes factors such as organizational culture and organizational rewards. In addition, this paper further explores the impact of dysfunctional mentorship. At the individual level, the impact on protégés is mainly reflected in the psychological pressure and negative emotions, the attitudes and work intentions, and the negative behaviors in the workplace. The negative impact on mentors is mainly reflected in the individual behavior, workplace guidance behavior and other aspects. The organizational impact is mainly reflected in the lack of organizational trust, weakening of cohesion, internal discrimination within the organization, and nepotism. Based on the above research, this paper constructs an integration model of dysfunctional mentorship, and puts forward future research directions. It believes that the follow-up research can further develop the localization research of dysfunctional mentorship, explore the behavioral characteristics of dysfunctional mentorship in the Chinese cultural context（including Confucian culture, paternalistic culture, collectivist culture, face culture, etc.）for a breakthrough in the content structure. Finally, this paper provides breakthrough suggestions for the influential effect and the formation mechanism of dysfunctional mentorship. It also provides a systematic theoretical framework for the follow-up research, which is conducive to the effective research and practice of enterprise mentorship.
/ Journals / Foreign Economics & Management
Foreign Economics & Management
LiZengquan, Editor-in-Chief
ZhengChunrong, Vice Executive Editor-in-Chief
YinHuifang HeXiaogang LiuJianguo, Vice Editor-in-Chief
Is Enterprise Mentorship Definitely Full of Positive Energy? A Literature Review and Prospects of Dysfunctional Mentorship
Foreign Economics & Management Vol. 41, Issue 08, pp. 73 - 85 (2019) DOI:10.16538/j.cnki.fem.2019.08.006
Summary
References
Summary
[1] Chen Cheng, Liao Jianqiao, et al. Management strategy of mentors’ knowledge sharing behaviors based on the ERG theory[J]. Library and Information Service, 2011, 55(16): 99-102, 110.
[2] Chen Tao, Zhu Zhiming, Wang Tienan. Research on affection of the ghost ties to the firms knowledge transfer: Selecting the dynamic environment as moderator variables[J]. Science & Technology Progress and Policy, 2014, 31(10): 131-137.
[3] Han Yi, Yang Baiyin. The master-apprentice relationship opening the door to the success of the apprentice in career: An analysis from the viewpoint of the political technology[J]. Management World, 2012, (6): 124-132, 188.
[4] Han Yi, Zhou Jie, Sun Xixi, Yang baiyin. The effect and influence factors of mentoring[J]. Management Review, 2013, 25(7): 54-66.
[5] Luo Jiade, Zhou Chaowen, Zheng Mengyu. An analysis on the circle of organization—A comparison research of internal relationship structure of organization [J]. Modern Finance and Economics, 2013, 33(10): 4-16.
[6] Tong Jun, Wang Kai, Han Yi, Li Zengyan. The influence of mentor’s face-need to apprentice engagement—The effect of mentoring relationship and emotional intelligence[J]. Science & Technology Progress and Policy, 2017, 34(8): 140-146.
[7] Allen T D, Eby L T, Poteet M L, et al. Career benefits associated with mentoring for protégés: A meta-analysis[J]. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2004, 89(1): 127-136.
[8] Allen T D, Johnson H A M, Xu X, et al. Mentoring and protégé narcissistic entitlement[J]. Journal of Career Development, 2009, 35(4): 385-405.
[9] Allen T D, Poteet M L, Russell J E A. Protégé selection by mentors: What makes the difference?[J]. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2000, 21(3): 271-282.
[10] Bolino M C, Varela J A, Bande B, et al. The impact of impression-management tactics on supervisor ratings of organizational citizenship behavior[J]. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2006, 27(3): 281-297.
[11] Burk H G, Eby L T. What keeps people in mentoring relationships when bad things happen? A field study from the protégé’s perspective[J]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2010, 77(3): 437-446.
[12] De Cremer D, Mayer D M, Van Dijke M, et al. When does self-sacrificial leadership motivate prosocial behavior? It depends on followers’ prevention focus[J]. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2009, 94(4): 887-899.
[13] Dougherty T W, Dreher G F, Arunachalam V, et al. Mentor status, occupational context, and protégé career outcomes: Differential returns for males and females[J]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2013, 83(3): 514-527.
[14] Eby L T, Allen T D, Evans S C, et al. Does mentoring matter? A multidisciplinary meta-analysis comparing mentored and non-mentored individuals[J]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2008, 72(2): 254-267.
[15] Eby L T, Butts M M, Durley J, et al. Are bad experiences stronger than good ones in mentoring relationships? Evidence from the protégé and mentor perspective[J]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2010, 77(1): 81-92.
[16] Eby L T, McManus S E. The protégé’s role in negative mentoring experiences[J]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2004, 65(2): 255-275.
[17] Eby L T, McManus S E, Simon S A, et al. The protégé’s perspective regarding negative mentoring experiences: The development of a taxonomy[J]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2000, 57(1): 1-21.
[18] Feldman D C. Toxic mentors or toxic protégés? A critical re-examination of dysfunctional mentoring[J]. Human Resource Management Review, 1999, 9(3): 247-278.
[19] Ferris G R, Treadway D C, Perrewé P L, et al. Political skill in organizations[J]. Journal of Management, 2007, 33(3): 290-320.
[20] Ghosh R, Dierkes S, Falletta S. Incivility spiral in mentoring relationships: Reconceptualizing negative mentoring as deviant workplace behavior[J]. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 2011, 13(1): 22-39.
[21] Herrbach O, Mignonac K, Richebe N. Undesired side effect? The promotion of non-commitment in formal vs. informal mentorships[J]. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2011, 22(7): 1554-1569.
[22] Husted K, Michailova S, Minbaeva D B, et al. Knowledge-sharing hostility and governance mechanisms: An empirical test[J]. Journal of Knowledge Management, 2012, 16(5): 754-773.
[23] Kim M J, Choi K. Formal mentors’ distancing and manipulative behaviors: An empirical study on their antecedents and consequences[J]. Journal of Business and Policy Research, 2011, 6(3): 91-103.
[24] Kram K E, Isabella L A. Mentoring alternatives: The role of peer relationships in career development[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1985, 28(1): 110-132.
[25] Kumar P, Irudayaraj I S F, Jomon M G, et al. The shadow of negative mentoring at the workplace: Is negative affect a mediator between mentoring experiences and a decline in organizational citizenship behaviour of the protégé?[J]. Management and Labour Studies, 2013, 38(4): 357-371.
[26] Labianca G, Brass D J. Exploring the social ledger: Negative relationships and negative asymmetry in social networks in organizations[J]. Academy of Management Review, 2006, 31(3): 596-614.
[27] Liu D, Wang S, Wayne S J. Is being a good learner enough? An examination of the interplay between learning goal orientation and impression management tactics on creativity[J]. Personnel Psychology, 2015, 68(1): 109-142.
[28] Mahajan A, Toh S M. Group cultural values and political skills: A situationist perspective on interpersonal citizenship behaviors[J]. Journal of International Business Studies, 2017, 48(1): 113-121.
[29] Mulder L B, Nelissen R M A. When rules really make a difference: The effect of cooperation rules and self-sacrificing leadership on moral norms in social dilemmas[J]. Journal of Business Ethics, 2010, 95(S1): 57-72.
[30] Ragins B R, Cotton J L, Miller J S. Marginal mentoring: The effects of type of mentor, quality of relationship, and program design on work and career attitudes[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 2000, 43(6): 1177-1194.
[31] Rechberg I, Syed J. Ethical issues in knowledge management: Conflict of knowledge ownership[J]. Journal of Knowledge Management, 2013, 17(6): 828-847.
[32] Robinson S L, Rousseau D M. Violating the psychological contract: Not the exception but the norm[J]. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 1994, 15(3): 245-259.
[33] Scandura T A. Dysfunctional mentoring relationships and outcomes[J]. Journal of Management, 1998, 24(3): 449-467.
[34] Schmader T, Johns M, Forbes C. An integrated process model of stereotype threat effects on performance[J]. Psychological Review, 2008, 115(2): 336-356.
[35] Steele C M. A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance[J]. American Psychologist, 1997, 52(6): 613-629.
[36] Topa G, Perez-Larrazabal J. Newcomers’ learning and co-worker undermining: Moderated mediation analysis[J]. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2016, 31(5): 914-929.
[37] Wayne S J, Liden R C. Effects of impression management on performance ratings: A longitudinal study[J]. Academy of Management Journal, 1995, 38(1): 232-260.
[38] Yi J, Kwan H K, Hu Y L, et al. Revenge exacerbates the effects of interpersonal problems on mentors’ emotional exhaustion and work-family conflict: A self-defeating perspective[J]. Human Resource Management, 2017, 56(5): 851-866.
Cite this article
Cui Qi, He Yanzhen. Is Enterprise Mentorship Definitely Full of Positive Energy? A Literature Review and Prospects of Dysfunctional Mentorship[J]. Foreign Economics & Management, 2019, 41(8): 73-85.
Export Citations as:
For
