Mentoring as a psychological contract: implications for relationship development and evaluation

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The purpose of this study was to investigate the mentoring relationship as a psychological contract and, in doing so, explore the influence of formality, motives for engaging in the relationship, and protégé personality characteristics on the mentoring relationship. Results support the conceptualization of the mentoring relationship as a type of contract. Results also indicate that formality, mentor's position in the organizational hierarchy, motives for engaging in the relationship, and protégé personality characteristics are related to perceptions of mentor obligations. In addition, this research contributes to psychological contract theory by investigating an acknowledged but rarely studied type of psychological contract, one between two individuals, and second by investigating the influence of a particular organizational agent on the employees' psychological contract other than the supervisor. Results indicate that breach of the mentoring contract is related to psychological employment contract breach and the related variables of turnover intentions, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.