Mentoring as a response to merit demands on account of equity

Abstract

English: In a formal mentoring programme at the University of South Africa (Unisa), the mainly black newcomers are mentored by productive white academics. This article aims to determine how mentors perceived their mentoring task in this context. The findings revealed that mentors understand their mentoring task as pertaining exclusively to the development of research skills in order to sustain research outputs. No problems were encountered with cross-race mentoring. However, a lack of self-efficacy on the part of some of the protégés called for mentoring involving implicit goal-setting and affirming feedback, based on a radical humanist perspective on mentoring.

Afrikaans: In ’n formele mentorprogram aan die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika (Unisa) word die oorwegend swart toetreders deur produktiewe wit akademici gementor. Die doel van die artikel is om die mentors se persepsie van hul mentortaak binne hierdie konteks te bepaal. Daar is bevind dat mentors hul mentortaak uitsluitlik as ontwikkeling van navorsingsvaardighede interpreteer ten einde navorsingsuitsetprestasie te handhaaf. Geen probleme is met tussenrasmentorskap ervaar nie. ’n Gebrek aan selfwerksaamheid onder sommige van die protégés het egter ’n spesifieke mentorstrategie vereis wat implisiete doelwitstelling en bevestigende terugvoering omvat, gebaseer op ’n radikale humanistiese perspektief op mentorskap.