A Research Note on the Two Faces of Informal Mentoring : Diminishing and Enhancing Role Conflict

Prior research has reported inconsistent results regarding whether public accounting mentoring diminishes or enhances protege role conflict. The current study develops theoretical propositions identifying the contradictory effects of informal mentors on protege role conflict: diminishing overall role conflict, but enhancing (increasing) mentor-based inter-sender role conflict. The hypotheses are tested using responses from 552 practicing CPAs. The results from structural equation modeling suggest that public accounting informal mentoring has both positive and negative attributes. While informal mentors provide information that clarifies proteges' organizational roles, informal mentors also impose role demands that conflict with other role senders. Further statistical tests show the relevance of mentor-based inter-sender role conflict: an association with negative job outcomes, including lower job satisfaction and higher turnover intentions