The effects of negative mentoring experiences on mentor creativity: The roles of mentor ego depletion and traditionality

Abstract

The literature often focuses on the positive effects of mentoring, especially for protégés. When mentoring experiences are negative, the assumption is that these negative effects are less detrimental to the mentor than to the protégé, owing to the mentor's greater relative power in the relationship. This study uses ego depletion theory to examine the link between negative mentoring experiences (as rated by protégés) and mentor creativity and focuses on the mediating and moderating roles of mentor ego depletion and mentor traditionality on this link. The results are based on data from 227 protégés, 187 mentors, and 187 supervisors of mentors in Chinese organizations. The findings support a mediating effect of ego depletion on the negative relationship between negative mentoring experiences and mentor creativity. In addition, the study finds that traditionality attenuates both the positive relationship between negative mentoring experiences and ego depletion and the indirect effect of negative mentoring experiences on mentors' creativity through ego depletion. The implications for management theory and practice are discussed.