scholarly journals Mentoring and its Effects on the Progression of Female Solicitors’ Careers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Edyta J Madej-Walls
Keyword(s):  
Personal Growth ◽  
Organization Culture ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Law Firms ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Mentoring Practices ◽  
Democratic Engagement ◽  
Female Lawyers

Mentoring can be conceptualised differently according to the contributor, but at the core of the mentoring practice is a focus on learning, power sharing, inclusivity, participatory actions and democratic engagement. 1 Increasingly, younger people desire a better work life balance. They want to be empowered, to thrive and be more in charge of their career building. As a result this younger generation requires to be kept motivated in their career and also to have access to guid es who can help them achieve such a balanc e. For many years, men have benefited from informal mentoring in male dominated fields while women experienced difficulty in fi n ding mentors in masculine organization culture. It can be argued that this is the place for career mentoring programme s Mentoring is a directive form of help, especially benefiting early career individuals on their journey to the most senior levels. It is meant to reduce the chances for, in the context of this research, law firms los ing valuable individuals and as a by p roduct of advancing the career aspirations of this group to enable them to prosper in a n increasingly competitive environment Furthermore, mentoring aims to help develop better professional practice, collaboration between different generations of law f irm leaders and cultural intelligence. Indirect benefits of effective mentoring programmes can include a reduction in staff turnover and the associated costs in recruiting replacements; and motivating and/or replacing underperforming individuals who are no t acting to their full capacity. The mentoring programme may offer a solution to such problems or perhaps could be used to anticipate the m, create solutions and thus establish better functioning law firms. Together with the mentors who have relevant experi ence and knowledge, they are able to proffer guidance,advice and recommendations to mentees. The focus then stays on real and practical development, helping individuals to develop their careers to more senior levels with the support of the mentor. This empirical, qualitative study is based on female lawyers’ experiences of mentoring at various stages of their legal careers. Particular focus is put on female lawyers and their career progressions to more senior levels of the profession with the suppor t of either /or formal or informal mentoring programmes. The participants to this study were practising lawyers at different phases of their legal careers. Hence, the participants perceptions offer a range of views and evidence which help when draw ing conc lusions from the contrasting perspectives of the ir shared experiences. The varied mentoring practices evidenced in this research incorporate formal mentoring programmes established to run for a designated period of time; informal mentoring programmes op erating with no such fixed duration and formal mentoring programmes which progress to an informal type, and then continue indefinitely T he findings demonstrate diverse support such as positive developments of broader networking, professional and personal growth of mentees’ confidence and individual career progression. In addition to the above, significant enthusiasm was reported for the development of a multi mentor form of support to further improve female lawyers’ career progressions However, an ultima te conclusion i s the finding of a general lack of consistency in mentoring support amongst the participating lawyers’ employers which continue s to limit the effectiveness of mentoring in law firms.

Mentoring for Retention, Promotion, and Advancement

2014 ◽  
pp. 45-63
Author(s):  
Gene R. Springs
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Association Of Research Libraries ◽  
Mentoring Practices ◽  
Formal Mentoring Programs

Mentoring can play a key role in the career development of librarians. Formal mentoring programs are often available for students enrolled in graduate library and information science programs, for early career professionals through a variety of professional associations, and for librarians at the institutions in which they work. The goals of these mentoring programs may vary, and can range from orientation to promotion or retention and even to advancement. Using the 115 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) academic members as a population, this chapter examines the mentoring practices that may be in place at these institutions by closely reading and analyzing the existing mentoring documentation that was available on their Websites. In all, 22 ARL institutions had mentoring documentation available for analysis. The findings indicate that a large majority of the mentoring programs studied have defined orientation and promotion as their main objectives, while far fewer make any mention of advancement or leadership development as their objectives. Further research is recommended to study both formal and informal mentoring opportunities at ARL institutions.

scholarly journals Effective Characteristics of Formal Mentoring Relationships: The National Athletic Trainers' Association Foundation Research Mentor Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Effective Characteristics ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Mentor Program ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association

Context: Mentoring is a beneficial mechanism to support junior faculty members as they navigate job expectations, institutional nuances, and the professional landscape during the first few years as a faculty member. Whereas effective characteristics of informal mentoring relationships are generally understood, less is known about factors that contribute to formal mentoring relationships. Objective: Gain mentor and mentee perceptions of effective mentoring in a formal setting. Design: Qualitative phenomenology. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Six mentees (4 women and 2 men with 3 ± 4 years in their current faculty position) and 4 mentors (2 women and 2 men with an average of 10 ± 3 years in their current faculty position) participating in the 2015 National Athletic Trainers' Association Foundation mentor-program cohort. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed one telephone interview before starting the mentor program and one interview upon program completion 11 months later. Participants also completed 3 structured online journals at 3-month increments throughout their participation in the program. Two researchers independently analyzed the interview and journal data using a phenomenological approach. To improve trustworthiness, we used peer review and pilot testing of the interview guides, member-checks, and multiple-analyst triangulation. Results: Participants described effective mentoring relationships as those that facilitated collaboration and demonstrated humanistic qualities. Participants who collaborated on scholarly activities during their mentoring experience perceived this to be a highly valuable aspect of the experience that increased the potential for a long-lasting relationship. Whereas the mentoring focused on professional development, humanistic attributes such as approachability and personal connections further enriched participants' mentoring experiences. Conclusions: Participants in formal mentoring experiences describe effective mentoring characteristics similarly to those who have participated in informal mentoring and should be encouraged to exhibit them. Additionally, coordinators of formal mentoring programs should provide participants with resources and guidance to facilitate their experiences.

Canadian researchers advise law firms to ensure employees feel empowered to negotiate work-life balance (WLB)

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-15
Keyword(s):  
Law Firms ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Work Lives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Workplace Attitudes ◽  
Female Lawyers ◽  
General Experience

Purpose The purpose was to find out how lawyers at high-profile legal firms managed WLB. Design/methodology/approach The researchers conducted interviews with 42 lawyers at two law firms in a large West Coast city. Both participating law firms focus on corporate law and employ around 100 lawyers. Interviews took place on site over a three-month period. They lasted between 20 minutes and an hour. Questions covered general experience in the profession, as well as balancing work and non-work lives. Findings The answers revealed the tensions between work and non-work experiences. Lawyers were driven to work long hours and expected to respond quickly to clients’ needs. But they had diverse attitudes to WLB. They could broadly be divided into three categories – “work-centric,” “non-work centric,” and “dual-centric.” Their life values were also strongly correlated with gender. Only dual-centric and life-centric female lawyers had actively negotiated alternative work arrangements Originality/value There has been very little qualitative research into workplace attitudes to WLB

scholarly journals The influence factors of job satisfaction and its relationship with turnover intention: Taking early-career employees as an example

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianyin Lee ◽  
Boxu Yang ◽  
Wendong Li
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Work Behavior ◽  
Path Coefficient

<p>Job satisfaction of early-career employees has a significant effect on employee work behavior and work attitude. This study investigated the influence factors of job satisfaction and its relationship with turnover intention. Early-career employees were selected as the research subject. Questionnaires were distributed and the stratified random sampling method was used to analyze the 418 samples collected. The dimensions of job satisfaction were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, and a structural equation model was constructed to discuss the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention. First, for early-career employees, job satisfaction as a higher order factor consists of 6 first-order factors; personal growth’s influence on job satisfaction is the greatest, with a path coefficient reaching .918. Next come salary and welfare, work itself, interpersonal relationships and leader behavior. Additionally, job competency has a minimal effect on job satisfaction; its path coefficient is only .214. Second, job satisfaction has a significantly negative effect on turnover intention, indicating that the job satisfaction structure of early-career employees has its unique characteristics because they focus more on personal growth and development space. Through improving job satisfaction, turnover behavior of early-career employees can be effectively controlled.</p>

scholarly journals Performance Supervision and Employees’ Productivity in the Ministry of Lands, Environment and Natural Resources of Taita Taveta County, Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Anachuna Obinna Nonso ◽  
Obi Emenike
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Teacher Turnover ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Educational Management ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Anambra State ◽  
Mentoring Practices ◽  
Faculty Of Education ◽  
Measurement And Evaluation ◽  
Descriptive Survey

The seeming teacher turnover in secondary schools in Nigeria necessitated this study on mentoring practices of principals for teachers’ retention in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. One research question guided the study. The population of the study comprised 256 principals and the entire population was used for the study. Researchers’ developed questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts, two in Educational measurement and evaluation, Department of Educational Foundation and the other in Educational planning and management, Educational Management and Policy, all in the Faculty of Education Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The Cronbach’s alpha method was used to determine the internal consistency of the items which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.75. The researchers with the help of ten research assistants distributed and successfully collected 256 copies of the questionnaire administered. The research question was answered using the arithmetic mean. It was found among others that principals in public secondary schools in Anambra state use formal and informal mentoring to a very low extent for teachers’ retention. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that government should provide adequate resources necessary for effective mentoring programme in secondary schools in Anambra State.

scholarly journals Inspiring and ethical mentorship in STEM: A meeting highlighting need for engagement, incentives, and accountability

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Ruiz ◽  
Pinar Gurel ◽  
William H Olds ◽  
Adriana Bankston ◽  
Gary S McDowell
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Underrepresented Minorities ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
Mentoring Practices ◽  
Academic Mentoring ◽  
College Park ◽  
Worrying Trend

Academic research institutes have a responsibility to train the next generation of scientists in safe, inclusive environments. However, recent data has shown an increasingly worrying trend of early career researchers (ECRs), particularly underrepresented minorities (URMs), struggling to gain academic independence in STEM fields. While hypercompetition, lack of research funds, and scarce independent research opportunities are systemic sources of this problem, research shows that inadequate mentoring and toxic cultures are major contributors to attrition rates. To address the state of mentoring in STEM, and to discuss further actions to take to improve STEM mentoring, early-career researchers organized a meeting at UMD-College Park on academic mentoring. The talks and workshops, which included students, postdocs, and experts in both STEM and mentoring fields, focused on culturally aware mentoring, hypercompetition, mental health, ethical behavior, and advocacy. Here, we provide an overview of the mentoring landscape experienced by ECRs and describe available resources and further actions for the academic community to join with to improve mentoring practices.

Reflections on how to approach early career psychiatrist roles and challenges

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110108
Author(s):  
Jeffrey C L Looi ◽  
Angus J F Finlay ◽  
Daniel S Heard
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Formal Training ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Direct Guidance ◽  
Clinical Directors

Objective: To reflect upon and provide experiential advice to address the roles of early career psychiatrists. The main roles include leading patient care; working in teams; clinical supervision and governance of trainees, and of the psychiatrist by clinical directors/managers. While these roles vary across public and private sectors, the discussion focuses on common elements. Conclusions: The first several years of an early career psychiatrist’s work often involves roles for which formal training cannot provide direct guidance, and which benefit from planning and reflective practice. Learning how to navigate clinical care, clinical supervision and governance, formal/informal mentoring and peer review are necessary to effective practice.

Emotional intelligence in a stupid world

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Klare ◽  
Melissa Behney ◽  
Barbara Ferrer Kenney
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Intellectual Ability ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hiring Process ◽  
Management Positions ◽  
Complementary Techniques

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to review the five emotional intelligence (EI) competencies as originally outlined by Daniel Goleman but within the context of academic libraries. EI skills can be more important to have than intellectual ability in creating effective organizations. Academic librarians, particularly those in leadership positions, need to be mindful of EI competencies to avoid miscommunication when working with colleagues. Used skillfully, EI has the ability to build more cohesive and stronger collaborations inside and outside the library. EI is just as important for early career librarians as it is for those in senior management positions. Design/methodology/approach – This article reviews the five EI competencies as originally outlined by Daniel Goleman but within the context of academic libraries. It focuses on empathy to demonstrate how its application in libraries can facilitate teamwork, engender better cooperation and strengthen an organization’s culture. Findings – Most library literature focuses on EI skills as related to senior-level positions. There is a need for researchers to explore the understanding of EI skills throughout the entire library structure, including how to screen for EI during the hiring process and develop EI skills among existing staff. Practical implications – Librarians will learn how hiring for EI competencies at all levels will benefit the work environment within academic libraries, as well as how to develop and improve their own EI skills using complementary techniques. Originality/value – Readers will increase their awareness of how EI can benefit them and their colleagues regardless of whether they have structural (formal) or informal leadership roles in academic libraries, as well as how it leads to professional and personal growth.

scholarly journals Formal Versus Informal Mentoring Of MAS Professionals

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip H. Siegel ◽  
Todd Schultz ◽  
Sharon Landy
Keyword(s):  
Poor Performance ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Formal Mentoring ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Informal Mentoring ◽  
Cpa Firms ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Formal Mentoring Programs ◽  
Management Advisory

<span>CPA firms have consistently experienced high turnover and poor performance amongst their management advisory and information systems professionals. As Keller (2008) suggests, mentoring programs are a mechanism to help attract and maintain good employees. The extant accounting literature well documents the benefits of mentoring such as enhanced communication, greater organizational commitment, higher professional performance and reduced personnel turnover (Scandura &amp; Viator, 1994; Siegel &amp; Reintein, 2001; Siegel et al., 1997). In light of their potential benefits, CPA firms have begun to develop formal mentoring programs for accounting specialists to ensure that the advantages of mentoring are maintained rather than relying on happenstance (Siegel et al., 1997). The extant literature also addresses the benefits and shortcomings of formal mentoring programs for both auditing and tax professionals. (Viator, 2001; Siegel, et al., 1997; Herbohn, 2004). However, to date, no research addresses formal mentoring relative to management advisory services (MAS) professionals employed by CPA firms. MAS professionals work milieu is generally less structured than other professionals employed by CPA firms. In addition, they have greater operating autonomy than is usually the case in public accounting. Thus the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of formal and informal mentoring program effects on MAS professionals working at international public accounting firms. To evaluate the different mentoring programs, the study examines the mentoring processes within the tax departments of two international CPA firms that employ both formal and informal mentoring programs. The results indicate no significant differences between formal and informal programs on MAS professionals career development. However, the statistical analysis did show a significant difference in the perceived influence of the programs at two professional levels on personal development that appears at the middle range of the programs. The results suggest that the informal mentoring approach leads to stronger personal relationships but does not extend to higher professional firm levels. Neither formal nor informal programs appear to have a significant influence to staff level professionals.</span>

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