Mentoring protégés of color: Experiences of primary and informal mentors

• We examine mentoring from the perspective of mentors with protégés of color.
• We investigate relationship satisfaction, commitment and intentions to mentor.
• Interpersonal comfort is important for both primary and informal mentors.
• Implications for management education and protégé development are presented.

This study examines mentoring from the perspective of academic mentors involved in relationships with protégés of color. Specifically, we look at factors that influence academic mentors' relationship satisfaction, commitment, and intentions to mentor protégés of color. Results suggest that interpersonal comfort, perceived similarity, and intrinsic motivation contribute positively to these mentor outcomes. As hypothesized, our data also suggests that interpersonal comfort, intrinsic motivation, and perceived similarity are more important for primary mentors than for informal mentors. The management education and career development implications of these findings are discussed.