Toxic Mentors or Toxic Proteges? A Critical Re-Examination of Dysfunctional Mentoring
详细信息 查看全文
文摘
Although mentoring can have positive consequences for the careers of proteges, many young adults become enmeshed in dysfunctional relationships with their mentors. To the extent that these destructive mentor–protege relationships have been examined, the prevailing underlying assumption has been that they are the mentors' fault because mentors are more powerful and dominant than their proteges. This article presents an alternative to that perspective. It suggests that proteges, as much as mentors, contribute to the interpersonal dynamics that result in dysfunctional outcomes, and that mentors, as well as proteges, are hurt by these destructive relationships. The article presents a framework for understanding the interpersonal dynamics underlying the development of dysfunctional mentor–protege relationships, examining three key questions in particular: (1) What causes poor initial linkages between mentors and proteges? (2) What causes poor initial linkages to escalate into destructive mentor–protege relationships? (3) What are the consequences of dysfunctional relationships for proteges and mentors alike? The article concludes with suggestions for improving the research methodology used to examine dysfunctional mentoring in the future.