Effects of Protégé-mentor Gender Mix on Organisational Commitment

This study examined the interaction effects of protégé and mentor gender on organisational commitment in the Nigerian work setting. Data was collected from one hundred and sixty-one dyads in four gender combinations through a survey of a large government owned health institution. Results revealed that mean scores of all-male, all female, and the female protégé-male mentor dyads were comparable while that of male protégé-female mentor was significantly low. Whereas organisational commitment was better for male protégés when their mentors were males, it was better for females when mentors were females. The study narrows the gap created by the dearth of mentoring research in the Nigerian work setting and contributes an African perspective on gender effects of mentoring. Findings dismiss some hypotheses about gender and mentoring and underscore the fact that organisational commitment can be enhanced by gender dyads other than the all male combination. The implications of this for those who take decisions on grooming relationships for women were discussed