Personality Factors Impact on Success in the Mentor-Protégé Relationship

Abstract

Purpose: Based on theory from the literature, an inventory for perceived success was created to analyse the relationships between personality factors and mentoring outcomes.

Study design/methodology/approach: A written questionnaire was developed incorporating the Big Five Personality Dimensions and the inventory for perceived success. The analysis examined influencing patterns between personality factors and mentoring outcome.

Findings: The model predicting relationships between personality factors and mentoring outcome was supported. Additional relationships were discovered between perceived success and both age discrepancy and gender constellations.

Originality/value: The study provides a three-perspective framework for analysing mentoring relationships: the personality discrepancy between participants, each individual's personality separately, and an individual's personality in relation to their counterpart's perception of mentoring outcomes.