A longitudinal look at electronic mentoring relationships

Current advancements in information technology are increasingly impacting work relationships. Rapid technological changes have significant implications specifically for workplace mentoring because they may offer faster and more economical ways of building relationships. However, the e-mentoring literature is still evolving, and the extent to which e-mentoring parallels face-to-face mentoring is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of mentoring functions over time and how the development varies depending on the amount and type of computer mediated communication. While career-support was greater at initial points in the relationship, psychosocial-support increased at a greater velocity for mentors. Bandwidth and percentage of face-to-face communication had no significant impact on mentoring functions. Result implications are discussed and directions for future research are proposed