Mentoring in the Army: From Buzzword to Practice

Abstract

As in many organizations, mentoring is a common buzzword in the U.S. Army. Yet, it is not clearly defined, and little data document the nature and extent of its practice. In addition, concern exists that, if White men are less likely to mentor women and minority members, mentoring may foster a so-called glass ceiling to future promotion for women and minority personnel. Consequently, surveys and interviews were conducted to examine how Army senior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and commissioned officers conceptualize mentoring, the prevalence of mentoring, and whether women and minorities have different mentoring experiences. Factor analysis showed 3 dimensions of mentoring behaviors: Personal Development, Career Sponsoring, and Job Coaching. Most NCOs and officers had been mentored. Neither women nor minority members were at a disadvantage; no gender or race differences were found in whether they were mentored, in the type of assistance they received, and in the helpfulness of those mentoring behaviors. However, differences occurred as a function of rank and type of organizational unit of those who were mentored.