A Meta-Analytic Investigation of Gender Differences in Mentoring

This meta-analysis investigates gender differences in mentor- and protege-reported experience in mentorships as well as career and psychosocial benefits. There are no gender differences in experience as a protege or protege receipt of career development, but male proteges report receiving less psychosocial support than female proteges. Furthermore, males are more likely to serve as mentors than females and report giving more career development than female mentors. Conversely, female mentors report providing more psychosocial support than male mentors. In most cases, effect sizes are small and heterogeneous, providing important implications for future research.