Mentoring Women in Organizations: Practice in Search of Theory

Does mentoring really increase an individual's or an organization's capacity to develop? In response to proponents who assume that mentonng is automatically helpful to women, this research argues that deficiencies in the literature keep us from informing and improving the practice of mentorship, particularly for women. In juxtaposing what we know about mentoring women in the work-place with what we do not know, this article suggests the theoretical implications of mentoring and the related areas of inquiry that we should explore. I note that we need certain kinds of inquiry to increase our understanding of how mentoring enhances the individual's and organization's capacity to change and develop and urge scholars and practitioners to work together in developing and testing mentoring theory to answer these questions. Doing so will advance our knowledge of how mentoring helps individuals, particularly women, and organizations reach development goals.