Resolving the double-edged sword of mentoring: the role of generativity

Purpose

This paper utilizes generativity to explore the relationship between mentoring support and organizational identification, turnover intention and reciprocated mentoring in protégés.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper used a cross-sectional design with surveys administered to 351 working adults in the USA to test the hypotheses on the relationship between mentoring and turnover intention through organizational identification with first-stage moderation of generativity.

Findings

Employees who were high in generativity, mentoring support was positively associated with organizational identification and negatively associated with turnover intentions. Generativity was also positively related to reciprocated mentoring through the choice to mentor others, the number of mentees and the mentoring support provided.

Practical implications

The authors' results suggest organizations receive the greatest benefits when providing mentoring support to generative employees.

Originality/value

This study applies generativity to the context of mentoring by exploring the impact of mentoring support on identification with the organization, turnover intentions and willingness to mentor others by comparing the conditional effects of high generativity versus low generativity.