How do young tenured professors benefit from a mentor? Effects on management, motivation and performance

Abstract

Do young tenured professors who receive mentorship differ from those without mentorship in terms of motivation, scholarly performance, and group management practice? We conducted a survey among research group leaders in the biomedical and health sciences in the Netherlands, to study the effects of mentorship. Our results show that mentorship practices leads to positive results. Young professors who receive mentorship on average have a more positive view on their work environment and manage their research more actively. Furthermore, young professors with a mentor on average perform better in terms of acquired grants. These findings indicate that it is important for universities to actively organize mentorship programs for young senior staff.