Mentoring relationships and the female managerial career

Abstract

Mentoring relationships may be important for female managers seeking career advancement in both domestic and international management. The relative scarcity of mentoring relationships for female managers, particularly outside the USA, raises certain questions. This paper reviews some of the current literature on mentoring in order to highlight the barriers faced by female managers in developing mentoring relationships. In particular, the paper presents the results of empirical research in relation to mentoring conducted with senior female international managers in Europe. The findings suggest that mentoring relationships may be even more important for the career successes of female international managers in comparison to female managers employed in their home‐country organisations. Gender differences in mentoring relationships are also discussed. Finally, some implications for practice and an agenda for further research are presented.