Mentors as Friends 151mentoring suggests that peers are more likely to provide psychosocial support than
instrumental support. Friends have an even closer relationship than do peers and
may also be more likely to provide psychosocial support. Yet, we know that it is the
instrumental support of mentoring that seems responsible for many of the benefits
of mentoring (Lunsford, 2014). Second, friends, who become mentors, may be less
willing to engage in critical reflection out of a concern of hurting their friendship.
Third, others may view these relationships with some suspicion. Employees may
feel a protégé is receiving special treatment because of their previous friend status
with the mentor. Or the relationship may be viewed as providing unfair advantages
because of the friendship, rather than seeing the relationship as a mentorship.
Demographic Characteristics
We tend to have friends who are similar to us. Yet, being inclusive and recognizing
diversity is an aspect of mentoring that does not affect friendships. Demographic
characteristics such as ethnicity or gender may influence mentorships in important
ways. Mentoring relationships provide information and knowledge to a protégé.
Such information and knowledge adds to an individual’s social capital, power, and
influence. Yet, we know that women face greater barriers to finding mentors than
do men (Ragins & Cotton, 1991). There are also concerns about “the accessibility
of mentoring relationships for people of color” (O’Neill, 2002, p. 3). Women and
minorities remain underrepresented at the top organizational levels, thus there are
insufficient numbers for most protégés to even select a mentor of the same gender
or ethnicity. Women who seek cross- gender mentors may face challenges related to
perceptions about the sexual nature of the relationship (McKeen & Bujaki, 2007).
Further, there is some evidence that female mentors are less likely to provide career
support than male mentors (O’Brien, Biga, Kessler, & Allen, 2008). Thus, these
demographic characteristics display power differences in terms of access to mentors
and the information, influence, and networks they can provide.
A Conceptual Model of Mentors as Friends
I propose a conceptual model for mentors as friends that draws on mentoring func-
tions and power distance. Power distance is another way to conceptualize inequali-
ties in relationships, cultures, and organizations (Hofstede, 1983). The research
presented earlier on peers indicates that as peers provide one another more instru-
mental support, their relationship moves from friendship to peer mentorship. Close
ties in mentorships, characterized by strong psychosocial support, may develop into
or emerge from friendships, especially if these relationships are formed early in the
protégé’s career trajectory (Lunsford, 2014).