Mentors and proteges: A critical review of the literature

Within the last few years, mentoring has emerged as a popular topic in several fields. Articles and talk shows imply that success in life is somehow related to having a mentor or being a mentor. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the extent to which such enthusiasm can be substantiated by rese,!rch. The literature on mentoring is divided into three sections: the mentoring phenomenon in adult growth and development, mentoring in the business world, and mentoring in academic settings. A concluding section summar-izes findings across these three settings, speculates about the relevance of mentoring for adult educators, and suggests avenues for future inquiry. One of the more intriguing topics to have emerged in several fields within the last few years is that of mentoring. The subject of talk shows, business seminars, journal and magazine articles, the interest in mentoring has reached, in one writer's terms, "mania " proportions (Fury, 1979). The listener or reader is told that mentoring is the key to career and academic success, as well as a necessary ingredient in psycho-social development. Women in particular ar