Existing research in the field of mentorship as a mechanism for entrepreneurial learning suggests a requirement for more studies. Previous empirical research in the field has predominantly focussed on the workplace context and not the entrepreneur. The current research available in the field of entrepreneurial mentorship and its contribution to the business success of entrepreneurs is even more limited in the South African context. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceived contribution that mentorship makes as a vehicle for learning and development for South African entrepreneurs. In this mixed methods triangulation parallel design study, the qualitative component encompassed semi-structured interviews, presenting the narrative of twelve South African franchise principals who were entrepreneurs. The quantitative component consisted of an online survey which received responses from 35 business consultants. The surveys were created to capture perceptions of mentorship and what aspects were considered as important variables in the mentor-mentee match. Key findings of this research were that mentorship was perceived to contribute to entrepreneurs' personal and business success. The sample highlighted that the nature of the contribution of mentorship was related to business management support and/or psychosocial support. The study found that the entrepreneurs perceived the mentor's experience and performance track as vital to the success of the mentor-mentee match and that it was critical that there was respect, trust and honesty in the relationship. This study contributes to the growing field of research in mentorship specifically in the context of entrepreneurial learning. This is critical in South Africa where there is an absolute need for an improved state of entrepreneurship and therefore efforts must be made to create the support to improve this current situation. The research also offers insight into variables that should be considered when matching a mentor and mentee to increase the likelihood of success of the mentorship. The results of this research could potentially be used in the construction of a mentorship network for entrepreneurs with a mentor-mentee matching system that takes these insights into account. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Learning, Mentorship and Entrepreneurial Mentorship

Currently there is a shortage of qualified nursing faculty in Canada, which is predicted to increase in the near future. Mentorship is one retention and recruitment strategy suggested to help manage the prevailing nursing faculty shortage issue. There is limited research that describes that needs of nursing faulty in mentoring relationships, particularly those that work in technical college settings. The purpose of this naturalistic inquiry was to describe, interpret, and connect the voices of nursing faculty, from a Canadian school of nursing, as nursing faculty shared their lived experiences in formal mentorship relationships. This research project was inspired by several faculty from this particular school of nursing that felt others may learn more about mentoring from their lived experiences.<p> Interpretative phenomenology was used as aboard framework to evaluate a range of individual experiences within a formal mentoring program from which commonalities were sifted; patterns were identified using comparative methodology, and incidental and essential themes were located. Investigative and interpretive endeavors focused on answering the research question: What do novice nursing faculty need in mentoring relationships at a Canadian School of Nursing? Five themes were identified: 1) Conquering the Divide described the multiple role transitions faculty faced when they need to master classroom teaching, laboratory instruction, and clinical teaching; Self-serve Only identified participants who were involved in informal mentoring relationships that were initiated by participants while they were in a mentee role prior to entering formal mentoring relationships; Under Utilization of Mentoring Process outlines how mentees unsuccessfully plan and evaluated goals with their mentors; Outside Influences explains the effect that collateral hostility had on mentoring culture and how people outside a work climate could impact personal and professional growth; the final overarching theme, Time, tied all of the themes together by describing workload and work-life balance issues. All of the themes indentifies that formal mentoring relationships were meeting some of the needs of new nursing faculty but the program did not meet all of their needs. Key points of knowing and meaning that emerged from this project can be used to inform mentoring practices and as a basis for future research.

Currently there is a shortage of qualified nursing faculty in Canada, which is predicted to increase in the near future. Mentorship is one retention and recruitment strategy suggested to help manage the prevailing nursing faculty shortage issue. There is limited research that describes that needs of nursing faulty in mentoring relationships, particularly those that work in technical college settings. The purpose of this naturalistic inquiry was to describe, interpret, and connect the voices of nursing faculty, from a Canadian school of nursing, as nursing faculty shared their lived experiences in formal mentorship relationships. This research project was inspired by several faculty from this particular school of nursing that felt others may learn more about mentoring from their lived experiences.<p> Interpretative phenomenology was used as aboard framework to evaluate a range of individual experiences within a formal mentoring program from which commonalities were sifted; patterns were identified using comparative methodology, and incidental and essential themes were located. Investigative and interpretive endeavors focused on answering the research question: What do novice nursing faculty need in mentoring relationships at a Canadian School of Nursing? Five themes were identified: 1) Conquering the Divide described the multiple role transitions faculty faced when they need to master classroom teaching, laboratory instruction, and clinical teaching; Self-serve Only identified participants who were involved in informal mentoring relationships that were initiated by participants while they were in a mentee role prior to entering formal mentoring relationships; Under Utilization of Mentoring Process outlines how mentees unsuccessfully plan and evaluated goals with their mentors; Outside Influences explains the effect that collateral hostility had on mentoring culture and how people outside a work climate could impact personal and professional growth; the final overarching theme, Time, tied all of the themes together by describing workload and work-life balance issues. All of the themes indentifies that formal mentoring relationships were meeting some of the needs of new nursing faculty but the program did not meet all of their needs. Key points of knowing and meaning that emerged from this project can be used to inform mentoring practices and as a basis for future research.

ABSTRACT There is increasing recognition in Manitoba, as in many other jurisdictions, of an impending shortage of teacher leaders to fill vacant administrative positions. Thus, an interest in finding how best to attract, support, and guide novice principals has emerged. The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges identified by selected novice elementary school principals working in an urban, western Canadian public school setting who completed their first year as a school principal, and the extent to which they believed that some form of a formal mentorship program for new principals would have assisted them in meeting these challenges. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions: (1) what key challenges (socialization, technical skills, self-awareness) did new elementary school principals identify in their first year in the position; (2) did new elementary school principals believe that a formal mentorship would be valuable in assisting them to respond effectively to some or all of these challenges; and (3 ) if new elementary school principals believe that a formal mentorship program would be of value, what would be the key elements of such a program and was there agreement among the principals on these features? Daresh’s (2002) framework, in which he categorizes the challenges encountered by novice elementary principals into three: technical, socialization, and self-awareness was, utilized in this study. Qualitative research methodology was used in this study. Participants were four elementary school principals, who in the 2006-2007 year were in their second year of appointment as principals of elementary schools. All four novice elementary principals were individually interviewed as well as participated in a focus group session. The results clearly outlined that the challenges identified could be easily organized into technical, socialization and self-awareness categories, each area clearly of importance to the novice elementary principal. The study further suggests that Daresh's formulation identifying the categories of technical skills, socialization, and self-awareness was useful in identifying ten themes that represented challenges for the Winnipeg area novice elementary principals. These themes were: (i) communication issues, (ii) the budget and staffing processes, (iii) building management, and (iv) planning (each fitting into Daresh's category of technical skills); (v) adapting to the new role of principal; (vi) brevity, variety and fragmentation of their workload; and, (vii) change and the existing school culture (Daresh's socialization category); and, (viii) recognizing one's newfound authority as principal, (ix) confidence and delegation, and (x) balance in one's professional and private lives (Daresh's category of self-awareness). The findings in this study also concluded that all of the novice elementary principals though a mentorship program would be valuable in assisting them in meeting a number of challenges. The participants in the study established and agreed that a major goal of the program was to assist new administrators in successfully filling their leadership roles in their respective schools. Some of the key agreed upon elements of a formal mentorship program included: (i) the program would be voluntary; (ii) novice principals have the opportunity to choose a mentor; (iii) protégés have an opportunity to 'opt' out of the program; and (iv) principals would be in the program for one full year. As no Winnipeg area school division currently has any formal mentorship program for novice school principals, this study recommends that school divisions in Winnipeg meet with novice administrators to discuss the merits of implementing a formal mentorship program within the existing divisions and identify what the key elements of such a program, if supported, would be. It is also recommended that Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth in consultation with the council of school Leaders continue to explore how best to prepare candidates that move into administration positions across the province, and the role that some form of formal mentorship program might play in such a process.

ABSTRACT There is increasing recognition in Manitoba, as in many other jurisdictions, of an impending shortage of teacher leaders to fill vacant administrative positions. Thus, an interest in finding how best to attract, support, and guide novice principals has emerged. The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges identified by selected novice elementary school principals working in an urban, western Canadian public school setting who completed their first year as a school principal, and the extent to which they believed that some form of a formal mentorship program for new principals would have assisted them in meeting these challenges. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions: (1) what key challenges (socialization, technical skills, self-awareness) did new elementary school principals identify in their first year in the position; (2) did new elementary school principals believe that a formal mentorship would be valuable in assisting them to respond effectively to some or all of these challenges; and (3 ) if new elementary school principals believe that a formal mentorship program would be of value, what would be the key elements of such a program and was there agreement among the principals on these features? Daresh’s (2002) framework, in which he categorizes the challenges encountered by novice elementary principals into three: technical, socialization, and self-awareness was, utilized in this study. Qualitative research methodology was used in this study. Participants were four elementary school principals, who in the 2006-2007 year were in their second year of appointment as principals of elementary schools. All four novice elementary principals were individually interviewed as well as participated in a focus group session. The results clearly outlined that the challenges identified could be easily organized into technical, socialization and self-awareness categories, each area clearly of importance to the novice elementary principal. The study further suggests that Daresh's formulation identifying the categories of technical skills, socialization, and self-awareness was useful in identifying ten themes that represented challenges for the Winnipeg area novice elementary principals. These themes were: (i) communication issues, (ii) the budget and staffing processes, (iii) building management, and (iv) planning (each fitting into Daresh's category of technical skills); (v) adapting to the new role of principal; (vi) brevity, variety and fragmentation of their workload; and, (vii) change and the existing school culture (Daresh's socialization category); and, (viii) recognizing one's newfound authority as principal, (ix) confidence and delegation, and (x) balance in one's professional and private lives (Daresh's category of self-awareness). The findings in this study also concluded that all of the novice elementary principals though a mentorship program would be valuable in assisting them in meeting a number of challenges. The participants in the study established and agreed that a major goal of the program was to assist new administrators in successfully filling their leadership roles in their respective schools. Some of the key agreed upon elements of a formal mentorship program included: (i) the program would be voluntary; (ii) novice principals have the opportunity to choose a mentor; (iii) protégés have an opportunity to 'opt' out of the program; and (iv) principals would be in the program for one full year. As no Winnipeg area school division currently has any formal mentorship program for novice school principals, this study recommends that school divisions in Winnipeg meet with novice administrators to discuss the merits of implementing a formal mentorship program within the existing divisions and identify what the key elements of such a program, if supported, would be. It is also recommended that Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth in consultation with the council of school Leaders continue to explore how best to prepare candidates that move into administration positions across the province, and the role that some form of formal mentorship program might play in such a process.

Kristen S. Montgomery, PhD, CNM is an Assistant Professor at East Tennessee State University College of Nursing in Johnson City, TN. She received her PhD in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, her MSN in perinatal nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and her BSN from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She received a post-master’s certificate in nurse-midwifery from East Carolina University and completed a Post-Doctoral Program in Health Promotion and Risk Reduction Interventions at the University of Michigan.

The purpose of this study is to identify critical elements that impact the transition of students who return from an alternative program back into their high school. In order to address the purpose of this study the following research questions have been investigated: a. What are the critical elements that are reported as having impacted students' success or failure in making the transition from an alternative program back into high school? b. What types of intervention strategies occur when students return to high school from alternative programs? c. How are students returning from alternative programs achieving in terms of their grades, attendance and behavior? In this study students and parents, along with administrators, counselors and teachers, share their understandings about the value of interactions and interventions. Their descriptions will help explain why some students achieve success and why some experience failure when they return to high school from an alternative setting. / Ed. D.

The number of alternative licensure programs has increased significantly over the past decade. Faced with critical shortages of public school teachers in several subject areas, the Commonwealth of Virginia first approved an alternative route to licensure in 1998. In accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, school divisions must ensure that teachers are highly qualified and prepared for classroom teaching. While the majority of alternative licensure programs are sponsored by colleges or universities, the Commonwealth of Virginia allows school divisions to create alternative licensure programs with the approval of the State Department of Education. The purpose of this qualitative study is to determine the effectiveness of a school division sponsored alternative licensure program, in conjunction with supporting induction and mentorship programs, in (1) meeting a large suburban school divisions need for highly qualified applicants and (2) preparing second-career teachers for the classroom. Data collection included (a) individual interviews with alternative program graduates (n = 8), (b) individual interviews with school administrators (n = 8), (c) individual interviews with new teacher induction program coordinators (n = 2), and (d) a review of program documents. Study results found that the program failed in meeting the need of the school division for highly qualified teachers in critical shortage areas; but, succeeded in preparing program graduates for their first-year of classroom teaching. / Ph. D.

<p>With an attractive trainee program company’s today hope to attract young devoted people. In the frame of a trainee program, there has been a special focus on a formal mentorship in an effort to develop characteristics with the mentor and protégé. Therefore this study discusses the subject mentorship in trainee programs. </p><p>Which characteristics are affected with the mentor and protégé during a mentor relationship in a trainee program? </p><p>The aim of the study is to create an awareness and knowledge of the mentor and the protégés understanding of which characteristics are affected in a mentorship relation after a completed trainee program. The study’s theoretical frame of reference was built around four main points; trainee program, mentorship, mentor relationship and which characteristics that are affected with mentors and protégés. In order to find out which characteristics that are affected with mentors and protégés in a mentor relationship, we have chosen to do a qualitative survey research with a deductive approach. The empirical data has been collected, using open individual interviews. The conclusion made is that a mentor relationship does not affect mentors especially much, except the mentor’s emotional stability and their ability to reflect. All the protégés characteristics on the other hand are affected during a mentor relationship in a trainee program. During this study we have concluded several interesting factors that may lead to proceeding research, for example testing the generalization of the theoretical model. Another approach is to apply the model in other contexts, for example in other leadership contexts or quality contexts.</p>

With an attractive trainee program company’s today hope to attract young devoted people. In the frame of a trainee program, there has been a special focus on a formal mentorship in an effort to develop characteristics with the mentor and protégé. Therefore this study discusses the subject mentorship in trainee programs. Which characteristics are affected with the mentor and protégé during a mentor relationship in a trainee program? The aim of the study is to create an awareness and knowledge of the mentor and the protégés understanding of which characteristics are affected in a mentorship relation after a completed trainee program. The study’s theoretical frame of reference was built around four main points; trainee program, mentorship, mentor relationship and which characteristics that are affected with mentors and protégés. In order to find out which characteristics that are affected with mentors and protégés in a mentor relationship, we have chosen to do a qualitative survey research with a deductive approach. The empirical data has been collected, using open individual interviews. The conclusion made is that a mentor relationship does not affect mentors especially much, except the mentor’s emotional stability and their ability to reflect. All the protégés characteristics on the other hand are affected during a mentor relationship in a trainee program. During this study we have concluded several interesting factors that may lead to proceeding research, for example testing the generalization of the theoretical model. Another approach is to apply the model in other contexts, for example in other leadership contexts or quality contexts.