Mentor attraction: the role of protégé personality, mentors’ communication style and mentors’ work experience

The influence of protégé personality, mentors’ communication style and mentors’ work experience on mentor attraction was examined in this experimental study, using a 2x2 between subjects design. Participants (N=161) evaluated different mentors, that were presented in four scripts, differing in communication style (high expressiveness vs. low expressiveness) and work experience (high work experience vs. low work experience). The protégés’ personality (openness, extroversion) was measured using the NEO-FFI personality questionnaire. The results of an analysis of covariance, where the protégés’ personality was controlled, revealed that the more a protégé is extroverted the more he is attracted to an expressive mentor. Protégés’ openness and mentors’ work experience did not show a significant relation towards mentor attraction. Implications regarding the findings of the study are discussed. Keywords: Mentoring, mentor attraction, personality, communication style