Powerful Partnerships Defining the Learning Experience

1. Powerful PartnershipsDefining the Learning Experience Does e-mentoring enhance the employability attributes of mentees? An action research project within an International Professional Mentoring Scheme Chandana Sanyal and Chris Rigby Middlesex University Business School

2. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Background & Rationale • Middlesex University alumni feedback in India • Changes to international student visas – work experience needed • Department and the University strategy to use mentoring to support student employability

3. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme International Professional Mentoring Scheme Aims of the project • Widen student engagement • Create an opportunity to learn about international work practices • Enhance employability

4. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme International Professional Mentoring Scheme • Mentors - Human Resource practitioners in Indian multinationals • Mentees - post graduate UK students at Middlesex University Business School • Project team - Chandana Sanyal & Chris Rigby, Senior Lecturers, Leadership, Work & Organisations • Other stakeholders - Dean of Business School, Head of Dept, module tutors, Director of Programmes, employers of mentors (only in some cases)

5. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Mentees Mentors Title (examples) Vice President, Human resources, Aviation Executive Vice President, Human Capital Management Consultant Chief of Human Resources HR Manager Sectors - Aviation, Human Resource Consulting, Construction, Manufacturing, IT Consultancy Services, Engineering Telecommunications, Social media, Pharmaceutical Programme of Study • MA in Human Resources Management - 17 • MA in International Human Resource Management - 2 • MBA - 4 The students were either International, European and UK based studying at MDX Business School

6. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme The Process • Recruitment • 23 mentors recruited ( Sept 2011 –Jan 2013); 23 mentees recruited (Nov 2011 – Jan 2013) • Criteria for Mentors – Commitment of support for up to 10 hours over 3 to 4 months by email, Skype, telephone, face-to-face (where possible) • Criteria for mentees – Registered on a post-graduate programme, 2.1 or equivalent in first degree, demonstrate interest in international setting, commitment to relationship

7. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme The Process (continued) • Training - E-Toolkit for mentors; development workshop for Mentees • Matching - Personal preference of industry/sector or previous educational background, offer of two mentee profiles to mentors (where possible), one-to-one interviews with mentees, project team support as required • Support - support workshops for mentees, on line support for mentors and annual face-to-face meetings

8. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme The Process ( continued) Evaluation • interviews with mentors and mentees • review of mentee progress updates • summative questionnaire • semi- structured interviews with project team, tutors and director of programmes and finally • tracking student progression

9. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Research Methodology of research paper Research question – Does e mentoring enhance the employability of a mentee? (a practice based situation that requires analysis) Research approach – empirical, pragmatic with an integrated approach which examines practice through observation, questioning and artefact (Plowright 2012) Research method – Action research - a circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of action (Lewis 1946)

10. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Theoretical Frameworks informing our research Sewell & Pool (2007) developed CareerEDGE plus review of earlier employability frameworks: • Hillage & Pollard(1998) • Bennett et al (1999) • Yorke & Knight USEM (2004) • Law & Watts DOTS (1977)

11. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Academic research informing our paper on e-mentoring • Bierema and Hill (2005) • Bierema & Merriam (2002) • Clutterbuck (1998; 2002; 2011) • Hamilton & Scandura (2003) • Zay ( 2011)

12. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Key Findings: 1. E-communication The methods of communication identified: telephone, Skype or email The main method of communication used: email and telephone. • 96%of the participants used email and telephone • 77% used Skype • 10% had face-to-face communication ( as opportunities arose)

13. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Key Findings: 2. E-mentoring • E mentoring saves time? Strongly agree 50%; Agree 50% • E mentoring saves resources other than time? Strongly agree 58%; Agree 42% • Do you think e mentoring has provided a useful opportunity for learning? 36% strongly agreed; 50% agreed and 14% neither agree nor disagree • 83% of the participants agreed that e mentoring provided a useful opportunity for learning

14. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme 3. E-mentoring relationship development TheEvolution of the Mentoring Relationship Intensity of Learning 2 8 6 8 Rapport Direction Progress Maturation Close Clutterbuck (1998: 95)

15. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme The dimensions of mentoring Influence (directive) Intellectual need (challenging) 71% 29% Emotional need (nurturing) Situational Mentoring Influence (non-directive) Adapted from: Clutterbuck (1998: 8)

16. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme 8 5 High clarity of purpose Open dialogue Shared expectations Openness tomutual benefit Sense of urgency Task focused Debate ratherthan dialogue Low rapport High rapport Friendship; Lack of direction Opportunistic in dealing with issues; Short termperspective, but ... may be long-term relationship “Going throughthe motions” 4 6 Low clarity of purpose Clutterbuck (2001)

17. wanted your find out whether the mentoring has supported/ helped with your employment/employability. Has the mentoring conversations in any way help with your job search or career development. wanted your find out whether the mentoring has supported/ helped with your employment/employability. Has the mentoring conversations in any way help with your job search or career development. wanted your find out whether the mentoring has supported/ helped with your employment/employability. Has the mentoring conversations in any way help with your job search or career development. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Powerful – how powerful? …wanted your find out whether the mentoring has supported/ helped with your employment/ employability. Has the mentoring conversations in any way help with your job search or career development? Hi Chandana, This scheme has helped me develop a rapport with professionals at a senior level. Networking opportunities were extremely wonderful. Plus, yes, the conversations have helped me in my career development process. (Entrepreneur, Recruitment Practice in India) Yes for me the experience has been worth while and we are still in touch . In fact I received an e-mail from him today that he has received an award. On and off I used to ask him questions about what my plan of action should be so yes, he was helpful in guiding me to select action plan for employability . (HR Assistant in a multinational company ..”with lot of exposure and chances of progression”)

18. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Key Learning From the Project Voluntary nature of mentor; competing commitments of mentees; NOT in-house (therefore common vision absent) • A rich and varied but complex project • Distance impacts relationships in a non-linear manner • Reliability of technology • Down time management • Demands on Project Team resource • Getting responses • Dependence on individuals rather than the organisation

19. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Evidence-based Recommendations • Project Team needs to be appropriate to numbers of participants • One-to-one, face-to-face or actual placement would strengthen relationships • Regular focus groups with mentees (students) • Make the relationship with the organisationrather than just a single individual

20. Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Q & A Contact: Chandana Sanyal c.sanyal@mdx.ac.uk Chris Rigby c.rigby@mdx.ac.uk

21. Yorke M & Harvey L (2005) Graduate attributes and their development. New Directions for Institutional Research , 2005 ( 128), 41-58 Yorke M & Harvey L (2005) Graduate attributes and their development. New Directions for Institutional Research , 2005 ( 128), 41-58 Powerful Partnerships: An International Professional Mentoring Scheme Reference list: • Bennett N, Dunne E and Carre, C (1999) ‘Patterns of core and generic skill provision in higher education Higher Education, Vol 37, pp, 71-93 • Bierema L & Hill J R (2005) Virtual Mentoring and HRD, Advances in Developing Human Resources 2005 7:556 • Bierema L & Merrian S (2002) E mentoring: Using Computer mediated communication to Enhance the Mentoring Process, Innovative Higher Education, Vol 26, No 3 , Human Sciences Press, Inc • Clutterbuck D (1998) Mentoring Diagnostic Kit, Clutterbuck Associates • Clutterbuck D (2011) Mentoring for Diversity (e resource) Buckinghamshire: Clutterbuck Associates • Clutterbuck D, Ragins B (2002) Mentoring and Diversity: An International perspective, Oxford: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd • Hamilton B A & Scandura TA (2003) E – mentoring: Implications for Organisational Learning and Development in a Wired World, Organisational Dynamics, Vol 31, No 4 pp 388-402 • Hillage J and Pollard E ( 1998) ‘Employability; developing a frame work for policy analysis’. Research Brief No 85, Dept of Education and Employment, London • Law, W and Watts, A. G ( 1977), Schools, Careers and Community, Church Information Office, London • Yorke M & Harvey L (2005) Graduate attributes and their development. New Directions for Institutional Research , 2005 ( 128), 41-58 • Zey, M G, (2011) Virtual Mentoring: The Challenges and Opportunities of Electronically – Mediated Formal Mentor Programs, Review of Business Research, Vol 11, No 4