Motivation and Benefits for Mentoring of Adult Mentors in a Cross-Boundary Developmental Network—Focusing on the Mentoring Process that Supports University Student Protégés

Abstract

This paper focuses on mentors and cross-boundary developmental networks (DNs). It aims to identify differences in the mentors’ motivation and benefits in mentoring within and outside their organization. Previous studies have shown that in organizational DNs, mentors engage in mentoring because of their prosocial motivation and to exercise influence in their organization. Moreover, the mentoring process enables them to re-evaluate their pasts. In this paper, we qualitatively investigated the motivations and benefits of adult mentors who participate in mentoring for the career development of university students in a cross-boundary DN. Mentors’ motivation to participate in cross-boundary DN was found to stem from a sense of stagnation in their organizations. Further, their motivation in career development support for university students results from prosocial motivation. Additionally, the mentoring process in a cross-boundary DN was found to broaden their perspectives as well as to return the learning to their organizations.