Retailing: Mentoring as a Management Development Aid

This paper assesses the incidence and contribution that mentoring has to the career development of retail managers. Previous research has identified the benefits that mentoring relationships have for the protégé, the mentor and the organisation, although none have compared the experiences and attitudes towards mentoring within the retail environment. Drawing on a sample of 132 retail managers in the UK, this research found that half the sample had experienced being a protégé in a mentoring relationship. No significant differences were found between a respondent’s sex, age, position in the organisation and whether they have been mentored. Mentoring was found to play an important role in the development of a protégé’s current job and career, as well as self development. It was less apparent whether the incidence of mentoring affected retail managers ultimate career ambitions. However, it appears that the advantages of mentoring as a management development tool far outweigh any disadvantages for the protégé. Retail organisations have much to benefit from the encouragement and facilitation of such relationships. Organisational benefits derive from increased management succession, management development, reduced turnover and increased productivity.