An Investigation of Mentor Characteristics Associated with Mentor Satisfaction with Mentor Relationships

Abstract

School based mentoring of youth at risk is a widely used intervention. However, mentoring relationships often end prematurely, which may place a vulnerable mentee at even greater risk for negative outcomes. Research suggests that mentors who are more satisfied with the relationship may be more likely to persist in the relationship. The purpose of this study was to identify specific within mentor characteristics associated with mentor perceived relationship quality with the mentoring experience. Independent variables included mentor motivations and mentoring style. Five mentoring programs with a total of 72 mentors were included in the study. Results from the study suggest that mentors’ perceptions of relationship quality was predicted by mentoring style, a within- mentor characteristic. This within-mentor characteristic explained 22% of the variance of mentor perception of relationship quality. Limitations of the study and contributions to the field of mentoring and future research directions are discussed.