Using multisource data from 37 countries encompassing a sample of 9,039 managers and their subordinates, we find that managers who provide more career mentoring receive higher performance ratings. This relationship holds true in all cultures but is more salient in more assertive than less assertive cultures. Conversely, managers who provide psychosocial mentoring receive higher performance ratings only in more assertive cultures. By understanding how the two types of mentoring behaviors affect managers’ performance across cultures with different levels of assertiveness, this study provides insight into how managers (especially expatriates and managers of cross-cultural teams) can adapt their mentoring behaviors across cultures.
Abu-JaradI. Y.YusofN.NikbinD. (2010). A review paper on organizational culture and organizational performance. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 1, 26–46.
2.
AllenT. D.EbyL. T.O’BrienK. E.LentzE. (2008). The state of mentoring research: A qualitative review of current research methods and future research implications. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73, 343–357.
3.
AllenT. D.EbyL. T.PoteetM. L.LentzE.LimaL. (2004). Career benefits associated with mentoring for protégés: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 127–136.
4.
AllenT. D.PoteetM. L.BurroughsS. M. (1997). The mentor’s perspective: A qualitative inquiry and future research agenda. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 51, 70–89.
5.
AtwaterL.WangM.SmitherJ.FleenorJ. (2009). Are cultural characteristics associated with the relationship between self and others’ rating of leadership?Journal of Applied Psychology, 4, 876–886.
6.
BlieseP. D. (2000). Within-group agreement, non-independence, and reliability: Implications for data aggregation and analysis. In KleinK. J.KozlowskiS. W. J. (Eds.), Multilevel theory, research, and methods in organizations (pp. 349–381). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
7.
BozemanB.FeeneyM. K. (2007). Toward a useful theory of mentoring: A conceptual analysis and critique. Administration and Society, 39, 719–739.
8.
BozionelosN. (2004). Mentoring provided: Relation to mentor’s career success, personality, and mentoring received. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 64, 24–46.
9.
BozionelosN.WangL. (2006). The relationship of mentoring and network resources with career success in the Chinese organizational environment. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17, 1531–1546.
10.
ChampouxJ. E. (2011). Organizational behavior: Integrating individuals, groups, and organizations (4th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
11.
ChandlerD. E.KramK. E.YipJ. (2011). An ecological systems perspective on mentoring at work: A review and future prospects. Academy of Management Annals, 5, 519–570.
12.
ChenC.LiaoJ.WenP. (2014). Why does formal mentoring matter? The mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating role of power distance orientation in the Chinese context. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25, 1112–1130.
13.
ChengS. S.SeegerM. W. (2012). Cultural differences and communication issues in international mergers and acquisitions: A case study of BenQ debacle. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3, 116–127.
14.
ClutterbuckD. (2007). An international perspective on mentoring. In RaginsB. R.KramK. E. (Eds.), The handbook of mentoring at work: Research, theory and practice (pp. 633–655). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
15.
Den HartogD. N. (2004). Assertiveness. In HouseR. J.HangesP. J.JavidanM.DorfmanP.GuptaV. (Eds.), Culture, leadership and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies (pp. 395–431). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
16.
DicksonJ.Kirkpatrick-HuskK.KendallD.LongabaughJ.PatelA.ScielzoS. (2014). Untangling protégé self-reports of mentoring functions: Further meta-analytic understanding. Journal of Career Development, 41, 263–281.
17.
EbyL. T.DurleyJ. R.EvansS. C.RaginsB. R. (2006). The relationship between short-term mentoring benefits and long-term mentor outcomes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69, 424–444.
18.
FaermanS. (1996). Managing conflicts creatively. In PerryJ. (Ed.), Handbook of public administration (pp. 632–646). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
19.
GainesS. O.JrGurungR. A. R.LinY.PouliN. (2006). Interethnic relationships. In FeeneyJ.NollerP. (Eds.), Close relationships: Functions, forms, and processes (pp. 171–187). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
20.
GentryW. A.WeberT. J.SadriG. (2008). Examining career-related mentoring and managerial performance across cultures: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72, 241–253.
21.
GhoshR.ReioT. G.Jr (2013). Career benefits associated with mentoring for mentors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 83, 106–116. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2013.03.011
22.
GrantA. M. (2008). Does intrinsic motivation fuel the prosocial fire? Motivational synergy in predicting persistence, performance, and productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 48–58.
23.
GrantA. M.SumanthJ. J. (2009). Mission possible? The performance of prosocially motivated employees depends on manager trustworthiness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 927–944.
24.
GravesL. M.OhlottP. J.RudermanM. N. (2007). Commitment to family roles: Effects on managers’ attitudes and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 44–56.
25.
GreimanB. C. (2007). Influence of mentoring on dyad satisfaction: Is there agreement between matched pairs of novice teachers and their formal mentors?Journal of Career and Technical Education, 23, 153–166.
26.
HamiltonC. (2013). Communicating for results: A guide for business and the professions. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
27.
HouseR. J.HangesP. J.JavidanM.DorfmanP. W.GuptaV. (2004). Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
28.
JamesL. R.DemareeR. G.WolfG. (1984). Estimating within-group interrater reliability with and without response bias. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69, 85–98.
29.
JanssenS.van VuurenH. A.de JongM. D. T. (2014). Motives to mentor: Self-focused, protégé-focused, relationship-focused, organization-focused, and unfocused motives. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85, 266–275.
30.
JavidanM.DorfmanP. W.De LuqueM. S.HouseR. J. (2006). In the eye of the beholder: Cross cultural lessons in leadership from project GLOBE. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20, 67–90.
31.
JavidanM.HouseR. J. (2001). Cultural acumen for the global manager: Lessons from project GLOBE. Organizational Dynamics, 29, 289–305.
32.
JehnK.WeldonE. (1997). Managerial attitudes toward conflict: Cross-cultural differences in resolution styles. Journal of International Management, 3, 291–321.
33.
JudgeT. A.CableD. M.BoudreauJ. W.BretzR. D. (1995). An empirical investigation of the predictors of executive career success. Personnel Psychology, 48, 485–519.
34.
JudieschM. K.LynessK. S. (1999). Left behind? The impact of leaves of absence on managers’ career success. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 641–651.
35.
Kammeyer-MuellerJ. D.JudgeT. A. (2008). A quantitative review of mentoring research: Test of a model. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72, 269–283.
36.
KimH. S.ShermanD. K.KoD.TaylorS. E. (2006). Pursuit of happiness and pursuit of harmony: Culture, relationships, and social support seeking. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1595–1607.
37.
KozlowskiS. W. J. (2012). Groups and teams in organizations: Studying the multilevel dynamics of emergence. In HollingsheadA. B.PooleM. S. (Eds.), Research methods for studying groups and teams: A guide to approaches, tools, and technologies (pp. 260–283). New York, NY: Routledge.
38.
KozlowskiS. W. J.KleinK. J. (2000). A multilevel approach to theory and research in organizations: Contextual, temporal, and emergent processes. In KleinK. J.KozlowskiS. W. J. (Eds.), Multilevel theory, research and methods in organizations: Foundations, extensions, and new directions (pp. 3–90). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
39.
KramK. E. (1985). Mentoring at work. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman.
40.
MorrisonA. M.WhiteR. P.Van VelsorE. (1987). Breaking the glass ceiling: Can women reach the top of America’s largest corporations?Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
41.
NgT. W.EbyL. T.SorensenK. L.FeldmanD. C. (2005). Predictors of objective and subjective career success: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 58, 367–408.
42.
NykodymN.FreedmanL. D.SimonettiJ. L.NielsenW. R.BattlesK. (1995). Mentoring: Using transactional analysis to help organizational members use their energy in more productive ways. Transactional Analysis Journal, 25, 170–179.
43.
RaginsB. R.CottonJ. L. (1999). Mentor functions and outcomes: A comparison of men and women in formal and informal mentoring relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 529–550.
44.
RaudenbushS. W.BrykA. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
45.
St-JeanÉ.MathieuC. (2015). Developing attitudes toward an entrepreneurial career through mentoring: The mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Journal of Career Development, 42, 325–338.
46.
SweeneyP. D.McFarlinD. (2015). International management: Strategic opportunities and cultural challenges (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
47.
TaylorS. E.WelchW. T.KimH. S.ShermanD. K. (2007). Cultural differences in the impact of social support on psychological and biological stress responses. Psychological Science, 18, 831–837.
48.
TurbanD. B.MoakeT. R.WuS. Y. H.CheungY. H. (2017). Linking extroversion and proactive personality to career success: The role of mentoring received and knowledge. Journal of Career Development, 44, 20–33.
49.
WangS.TomlinsonE. C.NoeR. A. (2010). The role of mentor trust and protégé internal locus of control in formal mentoring relationships. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 358–367.
50.
WuP. C.FooM. D.TurbanD. B. (2008). The role of personality in relationship closeness, developer assistance, and career success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73, 440–448.
