The problem and the solution. Although the benefits of mentoring relationships have been well documented, these relationships may become dysfunctional. There are a number of ethical issues to be considered in the mentoring process. In this article, some of the most common ones are grouped into three interrelated categories: cultural replication, access, and power. They are analyzed in terms of how human resource development can take an interventionist stance to address these ethical concerns. Four specific initiatives are presented to alleviate the potential for these dilemmas to arise and to promote healthy, productive relationships: organizational analysis, recruitment/selection, training, and follow-up/evaluation.
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