Mentoring among scientists :implications for interpersonal relationships within a formal mentoring program /by Bryan D. Maughan.

This study sheds an optimistic light on the future of the technology workforce. Effective mentors facilitate knowledge transfer and succession planning by applying interpersonal relationship principles found in transformational leadership, mentorship, and learnership. Mentors who incorporate such principles develop a cultural ambience where caring is obvious and learning is optimized. In such a culture the immediate application of knowledge becomes a natural outgrowth in which those relationships produce the most beneficial outcomes for the prot{acute}eg{acute}e, mentor, and organization. Results of this study indicate that the degree of success will be influenced by the deeper implications of interpersonal relationships and the developmental process of adult learning. Mentoring is fundamentally a leadership and learnership activity which is done in relationship. To build an enduring research and development community, mentors should become aware of and active in their understanding of how learning happens and how interpersonal relationships underpin the reception and retention of knowledge. To develop an effective mentorship requires an operational definition which includes the necessity of relationship development. Invitations to become a part of an organization and accept and retain knowledge are extended tacitly through character, intelligence, and caring attitudes, but there is something deeper that determines the degree of knowledge that will be captured and retained. Tacitly, mentors communicate in ways that either undermine or bolster strategies and skills meant to improve leadership development and knowledge management. Training specific to the development of healthy interpersonal relationships can help manage tacit knowledge and achieve the results mentoring promises.Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, April 2007