GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTIONS OF THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY MENTORS IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Year 2011, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 193 - 202, 01.06.2011

Karen Druffel T. Bridgett Perry-galvin

Abstract

Framingham State University is located outside Boston, Massachusetts in the US;
it offers liberal arts and sciences programs as well as professional education at
the undergraduate and graduate levels. A pilot undergraduate mentorship
program invited local industry professionals to campus to mentor undergraduate
students. The experiences of participants in the pilot program appear to reveal
differences in expectations about the benefits of the program and the functions of
the industry mentors. The mentoring process at the university level includes three
constituencies: university students, academic professionals and industry
professionals. A preliminary review of the literature suggests mentor functions
can fall into two categories: providing emotional support (encouragement) and
facilitating career development. Based upon additional information derived from
student focus groups and piloting interviews, the perception of the functions of
industry mentors in an undergraduate mentor program was assessed. Data were
collected using a survey that addressed three categories of mentor functions: (1)
preparing students for the job search (e.g., providing insight into specific jobs,
advising about interviewing and resumes), (2) providing emotional support
(encouragement) and (3) modeling professional behavior or skills (e.g.,
communication skills). The data from surveys were compared across the three
groups (students, faculty and staff, and industry professionals) and by gender
groups. Results suggest differences in expectations of mentor roles held by women
as compared to those held by men. In addition, results suggested that students
may have different mentoring expectations than academic faculty. These findings
are discussed in light of the needs for female undergraduate mentoring
experiences for students majoring in business, and the mismatch of student and
faculty perceptions in undergraduate business programs.

Keywords

gender, mentoring, human capital

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