2008 - Marketing Educators' Association

It is preferred that mentoring occurs at the
department level as it is the unit that is closest to
teaching, scholarship and professional service in a
particular discipline. The department chair should
take the lead in overseeing the department’s
mentoring program. It is desirable for the department
chair to work with senior faculty when designing and
implementing a mentoring program so they buy into
the program.
The mentoring process begins with establishing a
pool of potential mentors. Care needs to be
exercised in selecting potential mentors as they will
contribute significantly to the success of the
program. Faculty mentors need to exhibit a
willingness to go beyond sharing to actually putting
another faculty member’s interests above their own.
Potential faculty mentors should have a track record
of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and
participation in professional organizations. Potential
mentors should be tenured to enhance their
creditability with the protégé.
The second step requires those charged with
implementing the mentoring program to determine
the needs of protégés and mentors. This process
can be done informally through conversations with
prospective mentors and the protégés. The process
can be done formally by developing a questionnaire.
However, a formal process may be viewed as too
bureaucratic or impractical for smaller departments.
The assignment of a mentor to a protégé occurs in
the third step. Mentors may be allowed to select a
protégé, protégés may be allowed to select a
mentor, or a mentor may be systematically assigned
to a protégé. Programs that allow choice tend to be
more effective.
A mentoring relationship has a greater chance of
success if the mentor is of equal or higher rank to
the protégé. However, successful mentoring
programs typically hinge on the willingness of the
protégé to accept advice and change one’s behavior
regardless of the status of the mentor.
The next step involves the setting of objectives for
the mentor and protégé. It would be beneficial for
the mentor and the protégé to be aware of the four
phases of the mentoring relationship so that they
understand that the objectives will need to be
changed as the mentor and protégé move through
the phases.
The last step involves the measurement of the job
satisfaction and job performance of the mentor and
protégé. The measures may be informal or formal. It
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would be desirable if there is an open expression of
views of the mentor and protégé.
TOWARD A BLACK BELT IN
FACULTY MENTORING
Six Sigma is an extension of total quality
management and focuses on process improvement
to reduce defects. Black belt training in Six Sigma
involves developing someone to master all of the
techniques associated with a Six Sigma program
and allowing them to mentor a Six Sigma project
(Mitra, 2004). The logic behind awarding a black belt
in faculty mentoring is that it would greatly benefit a
marketing department to recruit, retain, and develop
faculty members that excel in the common areas of
their professional responsibilities; teaching,
scholarship, and professional service. The first step
in the mentor’s black belt training is to demonstrate
the mastery of the professional responsibilities that
the protégé is asked to master. The second
requirement to receive a black belt in faculty
mentoring is to successfully mentor a protégé. The
last requirement for a black belt in faculty mentoring
is the ability to develop new faculty mentors. The
end result of awarding a black belt in faculty
mentoring is to develop a cohesive and energized
marketing department.
DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
Although there is a considerable body of literature
on mentor-protégé relationships in business
organizations, very little research has focused on
mentoring marketing faculty. The following list of
questions may be used to guide future research on
mentoring programs in marketing departments.
• What role does similarity in work styles,
personality, and career objectives between
mentor and protégé play in the mentoring
process?
• What differences exist in the mentor relationship
when the mentor is, or is not, the department
chair?
• Do certain personality characteristics predict
how marketing faculty mentor-protégé
relationships will succeed?
• Do marketing departments have mentoring
programs? If so, what processes are used to
assign mentors?
• Do mentoring programs differ for new faculty
members versus tenured faculty members?
• How do mentoring programs benefit faculty
mentors?
• How do marketing departments measure the
success of their mentoring programs?