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Commentary on “Frontiers: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Female Mentors”

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  • Ting Zhang

    (Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts 02138)

Abstract

Mentoring is vital to developing talent. A critical puzzle in designing mentorship programs involves how mentors are matched to mentees: Would mentees benefit more from mentors with a similar or different demographic background? The article [Germann F, Andersen S, Chintagunta P, Vilcassim N (2024) Frontiers: Breaking the glass ceiling: Empowering female entrepreneurs through female mentors. Marketing Sci. , 43(2):239–468] highlights that women entrepreneurs benefit more from having women as mentors relative to men as mentors. In this commentary, I highlight how the implications of this paper depend in part on our understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying the benefits of same-gender mentoring relationships for women. I posit that these benefits stem from differences not only in mentors’ provision of psychosocial support but also in their coaching and sponsorship behaviors. By considering these different mechanisms, I propose an alternative implication that involves training mentors to engage in more appropriate coaching and sponsorship behaviors. Thus, I expand the implications of this article from mentor matching to mentor training . I propose that, by learning how effective mentors coach and sponsor women, mentors in cross-gender relationships can be better equipped to help their mentees.

Suggested Citation

  • Ting Zhang, 2024. "Commentary on “Frontiers: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Female Mentors”," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(4), pages 918-920, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:43:y:2024:i:4:p:918-920
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2024.0802
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chatman, Jennifer A. & Sharps, Daron & Mishra, Sonya & Kray, Laura J. & North, Michael S., 2022. "Agentic but not warm: Age-gender interactions and the consequences of stereotype incongruity perceptions for middle-aged professional women," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Gallen, Yana & Wasserman, Melanie, 2023. "Does information affect homophily?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    3. Germann, Frank & Anderson, Stephen J. & Chintagunta, Pradeep K. & Vilcassim, Naufel J., 2024. "Breaking the glass ceiling: empowering female entrepreneurs through female mentors," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120477, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Frank Germann & Stephen J. Anderson & Pradeep K. Chintagunta & Naufel Vilcassim, 2024. "Frontiers: Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Female Mentors," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(2), pages 244-253, March.
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