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This edition is about mentoring in the South African

organisational context. Although extensive literature exists on

the topic of mentoring, the current state of mentoring in the

South African organisational context is under-researched and

not yet well explored, particularly in the context of employment

equity. This special edition on mentoring therefore aims to

provide an overview of current research, practices and

experiences regarding mentoring in the multi-cultural South

African organisational context. 

St udies have shown that mentoring relationships can benefit

the mentee (or protégé) and the mentor, and that informal

mentoring appears to be more effect ive than formal

mentoring. The value of mentoring appears to be linked

particularly to the nat ure of the developmental relationships

created through the mentoring process. Developmental

relationships at work are key learning resources which

facilitate increased work effect iveness and employee

fulfilment.  They offer a way for people to continue to learn

to build their own capacities. As a source of meaningful

feedback and psychological safet y for ref lection, these

relat ionships also contribute to the growth of the

individual’s self-knowledge and his or her abilit y to seek and

use feedback in the fut ure. It is through such ref lection that

organisations and their members are most likely to create the

conditions that facilitate the growth of developmental

relationships to sustain them at work and in their careers.

Research indicates that employees engaged in some form of

developmental relationship such as mentoring are more

successful in their careers and have greater feelings of career

sat isfact ion. In the context of employment equit y,

developmental relat ionships are especially usef ul for

historically disadvantaged groups who probably at this stage

of their career development are in a greater need for career

support. St udies have also shown that the mentoring

relationship offers the most powerful learning as it provides

both task-related learning and socio-emotional learning that

affect the individual’s adaptabilit y and identit y over a long

period of time.

The articles included in this special issue cover the following topics: 

� the nature and concept of mentor and mentee competencies

and a proposed framework of competencies based on an

extensive qualitative survey conducted around the world by

David Clutterbuck;

� the development of a normative instrument as a tool in

identif ying and developing mentors in the South African

context (Karen Janse van Rensburg and Gert Roodt); 

� a qualitative investigation of the expectations of and perceived

challenges to white male and female mentors and white and

black female mentees in a formal mentoring programme

(Sonia Pinho, Melinde Coetzee and Dries Schreuder); 

� a qualitative investigation of the factors that contribute to the

quality of the mentoring relationship as experienced by

white male mentors and mentees and African female mentees

(Nelise Gilmore, Melinde Coetzee and Dries Schreuder); 

� a qualitative investigation of the impediments to effective

mentoring as experienced by black and white female mentees

with a taxonomy of recommendations for reducing these

barriers in the workplace (Kevin Stone and Melinde Coetzee); 

� a qualitative investigation of the practices employed by three

South African companies to implement and sustain their

mentoring programmes (Marina Hattingh, Melinde Coetzee

and Dries Schreuder); 

� a quantitative analysis of how individuals’ perceptions of

employment equity (EE) and black economic empowerment

(BEE) relate to organisation-related commitment and whether

individuals’ perceptions of the mentor’s role mediate the

relationship bet ween EE, BEE and organisation-related

commitment (Karen Janse van Rensburg and Gert Roodt); and 

� a qualitative exploration of the possibility of utilising

mentoring as a vehicle in institutionalising corporate ethical

practices (X Goosen and LJ van Vuuren).

The research presented in this issue shows promise for future

investigations. We trust that the findings of the studies will provide

a starting point for continued and more rigorous research on the

role and value of the mentoring relationship in addressing the

unique challenges faced by the South African business community. 

MELINDE COETZEE

DRIES SCHREUDER
Guest Editors

Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology

University of South Africa

INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW

Requests for copies should be addressed to: M Coetzee, coetzm1@unisa.ac.za

1

SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 2005, 3 (3), 1

SA Tydskrif vir Menslikehulpbronbestuur, 2005, 3 (3), 1