Does mentoring work? The mediating effect of mentoring in China

Researchers have found that mentoring can impact protégés’ career outcomes positively or negatively. In this study we explored the mediating effect of mentoring on the relationship between personal learning and career development in Chinese enterprises. Data from 316 employees of Chinese enterprises were collected and analyzed to measure the impact of their personal learning on career development. It was found that personal learning and mentoring had a significantly positive impact on career development. Mentoring mediated the relationship between personal learning and career development. We, therefore, suggest that, when promoting career development benefits, enterprises should enhance the positive effects of personal learning and career development through mentoring mechanisms.