Mentor holding behaviours: The role of supervisors and effects on protégés

• Main Author: GAO, Menzhong
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2023
• Subjects: holding behaviours; trickle-down model; mentoring; protégé; Organizational Behavior and Theory; Organization Development
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/etd_coll/561; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/etd_coll/article/1559/viewcontent/GPBA_AY2017_DBA_GAO_MENZHONG.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The concept of holding behaviours has emerged as a response to the paradox that arises when employees require support but organisations face challenges in providing it. In today’s workplaces, job demands and organisational uncertainty have escalated, rendering traditional, hierarchical support systems inadequate to alleviate anxiety. Holding environments offer a temporary safe space for employees to express emotions and cope with uncertainty and insecurity. Despite the importance of holding behaviours in addressing self-reliance and support dilemmas, limited research has been conducted on their antecedents, consequences, mechanisms, and boundary conditions. To fill this gap, this study proposes a trickle-down model that integrates social learning theory and social cognitive theory. The model suggests that the behaviours of mentors’ direct supervisors may affect mentors’ holding behaviours, which, in turn, influence their protégés’ outcomes. Specifically, the study posits that supervisor holding behaviours are the primary antecedent for mentor holding behaviours, as individuals learn from observing credible role models such as supervisors. Furthermore, this study aims to verify the effect of mentor holding behaviours on protégés, exploring the related consequences and underlying mechanisms. It examines the effects of mentor holding behaviours on protégé job performance, organisational citizenship behaviours, subjective well-being, and physical well-being, as well as the mediating roles of personal learning and job involvement. Additionally, this study proposes that the effect of supervisor behaviour on mentor holding behaviours could be either strengthened or weakened under certain conditions. Overall, this study contributes to both theory and practice by demonstrating that holding behaviours are effective in mentoring relationships and leader–member relationships in promoting employees’ in-role performance and extra-role performance and improving their well-being. It highlights the importance of providing temporary safe spaces for employees to express their emotions and the critical role of supervisors in serving as credible role models for holding behaviours. The study also provides insights into the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of holding behaviours, offering practical implications for organisations to enhance their support systems and promote employees’ well-being.