Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence that academic major advisors and informal mentors can have on an individual's identification with a professional organization and their ensuing level of involvement in that professional organization. The present study is unique in that it is among the few to examine mentoring and OCBs in the context of a voluntary professional organization. Participants were 309 individuals with a doctoral degree who are members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), a large professional organization with 7,847 total members (in 2011). The specific type of OCB investigated in this study was voluntary service as a member of committees within the professional organization. Results indicated that individuals' identification with a particular professional organization was stronger if their academic advisor had engaged in greater OCBs within the organization (i.e., chaired a greater number of committees) and if they had one or more informal mentors who were also members of the same professional organization. Those with a greater number of informal mentors in addition to their academic mentor engaged in greater OCBs within the organization (i.e., participated as a member of more committees). Finally, those reporting at least one informal mentor in addition to their academic advisor engaged in greater OCBs within the organization if their informal mentors had engaged in a greater number of OCBs and when those multiple mentors were more balanced with regard to their to their professional setting (i.e., academia or practitioner). Implications for theory and practice will be discussed.
Author: Julia M. Fullick
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2980541760