The matching process in e‐mentoring: a case study in luxury hotels

Abstract

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the effectiveness of an innovative e‐mentoring programme introduced in an international group of luxury hotels.Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs the survey method, with quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The research model was developed from a literature review.Findings – While mentoring programmes have generally gained increasing popularity in various organisations, in the recent past the success of e‐mentoring has attracted little empirical research. E‐mentoring is a vehicle for providing a guided mentoring relationship over large distances, largely through e‐mail, but also by using technology, including the voice over internet protocol (VOIP). Questionnaires were administered to 193 mentors and mentees engaged in a pilot e‐mentoring programme. A unique model was developed and now needs to be applied to a range of organisations and their e‐mentoring programmes. There are three key elements to the model: first, the introduction of weighted crit...