The role of mentoring in the career outcomes of female early-career academics in Africa: a secondary analysis of multi-country data

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Even though previous research has documented the powerful potential of mentoring through the vast array of benefits that it offers, little is known about the relationship between mentoring and academic career outcomes. This study aimed at establishing the role of mentoring in the career outcomes of female early-career academics in Africa. Using a mixed-methods research approach, the study entailed a secondary analysis of survey data and interview data to determine whether female ECAs in Africa receive mentoring and its relationship with their career outcomes. Other study objectives were to describe female ECAs in Africa and determine the extent of the negative impact of various challenges on their careers. The study revealed that African female ECAs were on average 40 years old (but ranging from 27 to 68 years) and had two children or dependents aged from six to eighteen. They undertook the majority of care work and general housework in their family, relationship or household. The female ECAs were nationals of 25 African countries, and they also worked or resided in countries similar to those of their nationality, except for Lesotho. A large majority of female ECAs had never studied or worked outside their home country and they tended to collaborate with researchers at their own institution. The female ECAs were predominantly employed permanently, and a majority held the rank of senior lecturer, and only half of them had received research funding. In a typical year, they reported spending the highest percentage of working time on consultancy and the lowest percentage on raising research grants. On average, they produced 5,8 articles in peer- reviewed academic journals, 0,3 books, 1,1 book chapters, 3,3 conference-proceedings papers and 5,0 conference presentations. The highest percentage of female ECAs were social scientists, followed by natural and agricultural scientists, health scientists, and engineering and applied technologists. Finally, female ECAs perceived that balancing work and family demands, a lack of research funding, and a lack of mentoring were the challenges that had negatively impacted their careers the most. The study found that most female ECAs had received mentoring on attaining a position/job, research methodology, scientific writing, presentation of research results and in the form of introduction to research networks, while only a minority of them had received mentoring on career decisions and fundraising. It was further established that there is a statistically significant relationship between (1) receipt of mentoring in the form of introduction to research networks, on the one hand, and the production of articles in peer-reviewed journals, and frequency of some forms of collaboration, on the other; and between (2) receipt of mentoring in fundraising andStellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iii receipt of research funding. However, not all forms of mentoring were found to be related to their expected career outcomes. The contribution of this study is mainly empirical, as it offers novel insights into the link between, on the one hand, mentoring in research methodology, scientific writing, fundraising and in the form of introduction to research networks, and, on the other hand, career outcomes that ultimately influence career development.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel vorige navorsing gedokumenteer het hoe kragtig mentorskap kan wees weens die groot verskeidenheid voordele wat dit bied, is daar min bekend oor die verband tussen mentorskap en akademiese loopbaanuitkomste. Hierdie ondersoek het ten doel gehad om die rol van mentorskap in die loopbaanuitkomste van vroulike vroeeloopbaanakademici (VLA’s) in Afrika vas te stel. Met behulp van ’n gemengdemetodes-navorsingsbenadering het die ondersoek ’n sekondere ontleding van opnamegegewens en onderhouddata behels, om vas te stel of vroulike VLA’s in Afrika mentorskap ontvang en hoe dit met hulle loopbaanuitkomste verband hou. Ander ondersoekdoelstellings was om vroulike VLA’s in Afrika te beskryf en die omvang van die negatiewe impak van verskillende uitdagings op hulle loopbane te bepaal. Die ondersoek het getoon dat vroulike VLA’s in Afrika gemiddeld 40 jaar oud was (tussen 27 en 68 jaar) en twee kinders of afhanklikes van ses tot agtien jaar gehad het. Hulle het die meeste versorgingswerk en algemene huiswerk in hulle gesin, verhouding of huishouding onderneem. Die vroulike VLA’s was burgers van 25 Afrikalande, en hulle het ook gewerk of gewoon in hulle geboortelande, behalwe vir Lesotho. Baie vroulike VLA’s het nog nooit buite hul geboorteland gestudeer of gewerk nie en was geneig om met navorsers by hul eie instelling saam te werk. Die vroulike VLA’s was oorwegend permanent in diens gestel, en die meeste van hulle het die rang van senior lektor beklee. Slegs die helfte van hulle het navorsingsbefondsing ontvang. Hulle het gerapporteer dat hulle in ’n tipiese jaar die hoogste persentasie werkstyd aan konsultasie bestee en die laagste persentasie aan die insameling van navorsingstoelaes. Gemiddeld het hulle 5,8 artikels in portuurbeoordeelde akademiese vaktydskrifte, 0,3 boeke, 1,1 hoofstukke, 3,3 konferensie- prosedures en 5,0 konferensie-aanbiedings gelewer. Die hoogste persentasie vroulike VLA’s was sosiale wetenskaplikes, gevolg deur natuur- en landbouwetenskaplikes, gesondheidswetenskapli- kes en ingenieurs- en toegepaste tegnoloe. Ten slotte het vroulike VLA’s geglo dat die balans tussen werk en gesin, ’n gebrek aan navorsingsbefondsing en ’n gebrek aan mentorskap die uitdagings was wat hul loopbane die negatiefste beinvloed het. Die ondersoek het bevind dat die meeste vroulike VLA’s mentorskap ontvang het vir die verwerwing van ’n pos/werk, navorsingsmetodologie, wetenskaplike skryfwerk, aanbieding van navorsingsresultate en in die vorm van bekendstelling aan navorsingsnetwerke, terwyl slegs ’n minderheid van hulle mentorskap ontvang het oor loopbaanbesluite en fondsinsameling. Daar is verder vasgestel dat ‘n statisties-beduidende verband bestaan tussen (1) die ontvangs van mentorskap deur bekendstelling aan navorsingsnetwerke, enersyds, en die lewering van artikels in portuurbeoordeelde vaktydskrifte en die voorkoms van sommige vorms van samewerking, andersyds; en tussen (2) mentorskap ontvang in fondsinsameling en die ontvangs van navorsingsbefondsing. Nie all vorms van mentorskap het egter verband gehou met hul verwagte loopbaanuitkomste nie. Die bydrae van hierdie ondersoek is hoofsaaklik empiries, aangesien dit nuwe insigte bied in die verband tussen, enersyds, mentorskap in navorsingsmetodologie, wetenskaplike skryfwerk, fondsinsameling en bekendstelling aan navorsingsnetwerke, en andersyds, loopbaanuitkomste wat uiteindelik loopbaanontwikkeling beinvloed.Doctora