Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Psychology
Major Professor
Tammy D. Allen, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Judith B. Bryant, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Georgia T. Chao, Ph.D.
Keywords
Distance, Mentoring, Remote Work, Support
Abstract
In the context of an increasingly virtual workplace, it is critical to understand how remote and hybrid work arrangements relate to key developmental, interpersonal relationships at work, such as mentoring relationships. Guided by the existing mentoring literature as well as leader distance theory, the present study aimed to examine the mentorship experiences of early-career protégés who worked remote and hybrid hours. Three waves of data were collected to investigate the influence of remote work and mentor distance on protégés’ perceptions of mentoring support received. Specifically, the study examined protégés’ degree of remote work, perceptions of social and spatial distance between them and their mentor, the frequency with which they interacted with their mentor, as well as perceptions of both career-related and psychosocial mentoring support using path analysis. Overall, the results and supplementary analyses provide partial support for the proposed model, primarily highlighting the potential influence of perceived social distance and interaction frequency as dimensions of mentor distance that are most relevant for perceptions of mentoring support in a virtual context. Theoretical implications for the application of leader distance theory to the remote work and mentoring literatures, as well as practical implications regarding the efficacy of virtual mentorships in organizations are discussed.
Scholar Commons Citation
Lezcano, Alyssa M., "Mentorship in a Virtual World: How Remote Work Relates to Mentoring Relationships and Outcomes" (2024). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10213
