Structural Relationship Analysis Among Variables of Mentoring Network Characteristics, Mentoring Functions, and the Working Attitudes of North Korean Defectors

Abstract

This study was conducted with a purpose to examine the structural relationship among mentoring network characteristics, mentoring functions, and the work attitudes of North Korean defectors. One hundred twenty-one North Korean defectors participated in the study, who were involved in settlement programs in Seoul, Korea. Amos 20.0 and SPSS 21.0. were used for statistical analysis. According to the developmental network theory, mentoring network characteristics include: network range, number of networks, and network intimacy. Mentoring functions include: career function, role function, and psychosocial function. The results are as follows. Mentoring network characteristics have a positive (+) effect on mentoring functions (β = 0.267, C.R. = 2.329, p < .05) and mentoring functions have a positive (+) effect on work attitude (β = 0.703, C.R. = 6.748, p < .001). Mentoring characteristics also have an indirect effect on work attitude through mentoring functions (β = 0.188). The results of this study implicate the need for expanding mentoring networks and developing mentoring functions for North Korean defectors in both formal and informal social network areas.

Keywords:

• North Korean defectors
• mentoring network characteristics
• mentoring functions
• work attitude
• structural relationship analysis

Disclosure statement

The author confirms that the content of this article has no conflict of interest.