"To Be or Not To Be"...Perceived Benefits of Mentoring In the United States Air Force

Abstract

This study examines the perceived benefits of mentoring, in direct opposition to not mentoring, for four United States Air Force (USAF) career-success influencing variables. Data derived from the November 2008 Status of Forces Survey of Active Duty Members from U.S. Air Force members (n = 2487) were analyzed via an independent sample t-test that compared mentored (n = 1745) and nonmentored (n = 742) Airmen. The research effort tested whether the two groups of Airmen differed in their perceptions concerning overall stress, retention, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The results indicate that mentor-protege relationships do not appear to impact perceived stress levels, but do significantly influence perceptions of retention, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment for USAF members. The results indicate that opportunities exist for USAF leaders to maximize the benefits of mentoring to positively influence Airmen's perceptions of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover. Further research is warranted on the impact of mentoring and perceived stress.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA580612

Entities

People

  • Ralph E. Piper Ii

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Applied Psychology
  • Business Administration
  • Employment
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Statistics
  • Students
  • Surveys
  • Training
  • United States
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Organizational Psychology.