Organizational E-Mentoring and Learning: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This article explores the process by which e-mentoring unfolds in organizational settings, emphasizing the crucial role of learning that acts as the intermediate step between mentoring functions and organizational outcomes. Specifically, the authors investigate how e-mentoring functions—career support, psycho-social, and role modeling—support the protege s learning, and how learning increases organizational commitment of the proteges. Data was collected through an online survey of 59 individuals in two multinational organizations that had mentoring programs. Analysis using SmartPLS 3.0 showed that career and role modeling support are statistically significant predictors of learning, and learning predicts organizational commitment as expected. Contrary to face-to-face mentoring literature, the direct link between the mentoring functions and organizational commitment is not supported. The authors conclude with implications for research and practice.