Mentoring in the Workplace: Toward a Five-Component Conceptualization

The existence of effective leadership development programs like mentoring which improve organisations’ human resources is critical to the success of any organisation. Diversity in the measurement and conceptualization of mentoring has made it challenging to interpret the findings of an accruing body of mentoring research. The art of mentorship needs to be revisited in terms of its different forms but traditionally, it connotes transferring knowledge from a more experienced person to a less experienced person. This review exposed the lacuna in mentoring research in the workplace, provided empirical discourse on five components of mentoring and diagrammatically illustrated a conceptual model for mentoring. The model drew upon research from a diverse body of literature, including interpersonal relationships, career related support, psychosocial support, pedagogy and informal mentoring. The aim of reconceptualising mentoring in this article is to help scholars synthesize existing research and to serve as a basis for future research.