A Conceptual Analysis of the Mentor Relationship in the Career Development of Women

Abstract

This article presents a conceptual analysis of the mentor relationship as an aspect of social lear ning and the career development of women. The discussion consists of three sections, the first of which deals with the socializing process of modeling with emphasis on role models and their im pact on women's career development. Part two discusses the mentor relationship as an aspect of social learning. This section defines and analyses the term mentor in regard to related concepts. The significance of mentor relationships as shown in the literature is presented separately as studies relative to each sex. A model is presented that depicts the career stages and functional relationships within each stage. The last section discusses some of the reasons for the present lack of mentor relationships for women in regard to the analysis presented in the first two sections.