The South African government, in an attempt to accelerate economic growth and development, has identified the SMME sector and entrepreneurs as a vehicle capable of bringing about this change. Unfortunately, this growth has been stifled due to the high failure rate of entrepreneurial businesses in the SMME sector. A possible solution for SMMEs and entrepreneurs is the introduction of mentoring. Mentoring entrepreneurs is the function of nurturing and supporting entrepreneurs by providing them with professional skills development and moral support in an attempt to positively impact on the business's sustainability. The study is the first of its kind in that it relates specifically to entrepreneurship mentors. This study empirically endeavours to determine the basic profile of entrepreneurship mentors in South Africa and their skills sets. The study aims to represent the importance of the skills as represented in the model and to understand the entrepreneurship mentoring environment in South Africa. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The objectives of this study were to identify leadership competencies required by health services leaders, determine the role of mentorship in leadership development and, make recommendations for succession planning in the public health sector. A quantitative approach using an exploratory and descriptive design was used, with the intention of conducting a census survey. Respondents were managers in positions 11 and upward. Findings revealed that experience assisted managers in improving the technical competencies of human resources, financial and strategic planning, but not that of leadership skills and behaviour, and communication and relationship management, which required development in the form of mentorship. It is recommended that leadership development for future leaders be embedded in succession planning, based on policy guidelines. Limitations of this study were that a response rate of 30% was achieved and due to the narrow geographical coverage, the findings could not be generalised. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

木工技藝在台灣面臨產業中斷，木工技藝人才凋零等等人力資源現況；此類以手工工藝技術為本，結合文化創意而發展出的新興產業，是目前台灣產業發展復興的動力之一，老技術新產業的發展關鍵在於專業人才的供給，希望透過此個案研究，能夠一窺由業界主導的專業人力培養的樣貌。另外，木工技藝傳承歷史上有其拜師學藝的傳統，這樣的傳統與現代的業界主導的培育是否有其異同可比較之處？鑑古知今，透過拆解專業木工技藝人才培訓的過去與現在，結合人力資源管理上的相關理論，發展符合現代並能成就未來的人才，以及擘畫出產業發展的可能形式。 本研究預計可以獲得以下成果： 一、了解新時代木工專業養成的樣貌以及人力資源實務。 二、為個案公司人力資源發展提出管理上的建議。 本研究首先透過文獻探討，整理人力相關理論，以人力資源管理活動為基礎，並且對於傳統木工技藝傳承其師徒制的部分也進行文獻資料的蒐集。再對個案公司，進行質性的研究和實地訪問，就專業人員養成及留用做深入訪談。本研究經由整理、歸納和分析，最後提出建議與方案，以期作為未來業界人力資源計畫的發展方向。 / The art of the carpenter is now a growth driver for creative handmade industry to develop. The scarcity of human resource supply in carpenter field is an obstacle for industrial development. Some companies have tried to build up human resource on their own. This thesis, a case study on a carpenter workshop, which has tried to start a one-year training program to develop professional carpenters, represents the whole picture of the training and development process of nowadays carpenters. Comparison of different training and development process by each way the carpenters developed, such as traditional master-apprentice model, vocational school courses and T&D program in this case study, also conducted. In the end of this thesis, managerial advices to the human resource development in carpenter field are given.

The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of professional nurses on student mentorship. A qualitative, explorative, hermeneutic phenomenological research was conducted to determine the meaning of mentoring as perceived by professional nurses and to identify the successes and challenges encountered by professional nurses with regard to student mentorship during clinical practice. A face-to-face semi-structured interviews were done to collect data from operational managers (n=16) who were managing all unit activities, student mentoring included. Each interview lasted for ± 45 minutes. A hermeneutic data analysis (hermeneutic circle) was followed for data analysis. Four (4) themes and 15 sub-themes emerged from data collected from operational managers. The findings revealed that mentoring was perceived as a valuable phenomenon to apply in the preparation of student nurses for future professional role. In the process of mentoring, the caring attitude is revealed. Factors found to drive mentoring process successful was amongst other commitment, interest and partnership which guarantee the mutual efforts to the process. Though it is beneficial to mentor, mentee and the organisation as according to findings, challenges were also seen impacting on this process limiting its intentions / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

過去台灣對於國會聯絡人的研究，多屬於國會聯絡人所發揮的功能及扮演的角色或是相關工作績效評估方面，缺乏針對國會聯絡人養成過程的討論，在我國的憲政體制所造成的權力分立下，為了使行政與立法間溝通聯繫順暢並降低互動過程中的衝突，行政機關的國會聯絡人扮演了關鍵性的角色，故在挑選國會聯絡人及對新進國會聯絡人養成訓練上，各機關皆相當重視，而師徒制運用於行政機關國會聯絡人養成上的現象相當普遍，值得從師徒制所產生的影響進行深入研究。 本研究是以深度訪談法為主，並輔以文獻分析法及參與觀察法的質性研究，透過立意抽樣方式，選擇8個行政機關共16位資淺、資深之國會聯絡人員為研究對象進行研究。 針對訪談內容、觀察現象並相關文獻歸納與分析研究的結果，本研究提出主要結論有三點，首先，從歸納訪談的結果來看，行政機關在新進的國會聯絡人組織養成過程中，透過資深同仁擔任師父角色的經驗傳授，徒弟有了遵循準則，且師父好的行為表現轉移徒弟身上，國會聯絡工作易上手，但是徒弟必須有積極進取的態度及不能一昧承襲缺點，食古不化，才能順利完成任務；其次，師徒在互相教導與學習過程中，因為滿足雙方的需求而效果良好，在工作上有好的績效表現，容易獲得升遷機會與好名聲，就算有一天互換角色後，也會傳承教導與學習的風氣，但若未達師徒間特質及能力要求，教導與學習效果降低，會對自己與組織造成負面影響；最後，在樂於知識分享的組織文化下，組織成員無法透過言語表達的默會知識得以透過「做中學」方式傳遞，共同為組織良好績效努力，組織也要避免成員有自利主義，若知識藏私不願意分享，將危害到整個組織。 / There are many studies on the issue of- “Congressional Liaison.”-Previous studies have focused on their function, liaison’s roles or performance, there are lacking of congressional liaison’s training and mentoring. Due to the separation of powers, legislature and executive are independent but strongly associated with each other. Thus, congressional liaison is a crucial bridge to maintain communication and tackle the conflicts between parliament and agencies. Governmental agencies requires establishing functioning congressional liaison’s mentor relationship, but how the knowledge and insight of congressional liaison works be trained and passing on within the agencies is an interesting question waiting to be answered . This study utilized in-depth interview, literature review and participant observation to do the research. By purposive sampling, author chose 16 junior and senior congressional liaisons from 8 executive agencies as interviewers. This study concludes following three observations. First, executive agencies tend to establish a mentorship for new members to get familiar with their job. Interviews show that if following the instructions and mentor’s standard, protégé is easier to be trained into a good liaison officer. Moreover, protégé will have more positive attitudes and be more flexible to accomplish the missions. Secondly, through mentoring protégés, mentors can perform better and are likely to get the reputation and promotion. When protégés become mentors, they are more liable to proceed with mentorship. On the contrary, if the mentors are not able to do the mentoring job well, not only the learning efficiency will be low, but the malfunctioning relationship have organizational consequences. However, during the process of coaching and learning, mentors and protégés can be beneficial from each other. Lastly, because of the knowledge sharing and organizational culture, members could implement the concept of “learn by doing” to deliver the tacit knowledge. Also, organization should avoid members from being too egoism, once they are unwilling to share or interchanging the experiences, it is might be harmful to the organizations.

Thesis (MEd (Education Policy Studies))--University of Stellenbosc, 2006. / This thesis explores the possibility of developing a mentorship programme for teachers through a reflexive democratic practice in order to support student teachers at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville Campus), when they do their internship in the host schools. It argues that critical dialogue and reflection are at the core of practices that are more democratic and that the development of a mentorship programme within the context of a community of practice holds transformative possibilities for teaching and learning. Aspects of current practice at the schools and at the academy, which may enhance or hinder the development of a reflexive democratic practice, are identified. It is hoped that a critical analysis and reflection of the research findings will contribute to the improvement of the practice teaching experience of the student teachers as well as contribute to the development of an effective mentorship programme.

This thesis is a narrative study that examines significant life experiences of six living artists that were pivotal in their decision to pursue careers in the arts. Although the examples found in these conversations are not exhaustive—many factors play into the individuals sense of identity and agency—they serve to give voice to the multiplicity of the learning experience, underscoring that creative education occurs in the home, the community, and among social groups as frequently as it does in the classroom. Through direct, open-ended conversations with artists, research explores the setting of upbringing and education, the pivotal experiences—catalysts—that propelled these individuals into art careers, and impact of their experience on both creative practice and notions of art learning. Interviews encompass artists whose work is located in public spaces, natural landscapes, and urban environments as often as it appears in the traditional exhibition settings, whose work is both collaborative and socially constructed. They comprise Rick Lowe, artist and founder of Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas whose community-centered social sculpture expands on our cultural assumptions about the artist and Anne Wallace, a public artist whose early work as a human right activist and bi-cultural experiences translate into videos about the complexities of the United States/Mexico border. It includes Vincent Valdez, a self-described “hyper-realist” who depicts his home city and composite life experiences of his family through allegorical paintings and drawings; Marie Lorenz, an artist explorer whose interest in urban waterways brings her work into the waters of forgotten canals and rivers; of Robert Pruitt, who critiques ever-changing political landscapes, conceptions of history, and globalism through hybrid drawings and sculptures; and Franco Mondini-Ruiz who fuses aesthetics of high and low in installations and creative economy widely accessible to people both within and outside the confines of the art world. Through narrative conversation, this thesis enriches overlapping theories that encompass our understandings of education and learning—mentorship, experiential learning, the aesthetic experience, place-based learning, communities of practice—through lived example, underscoring learning as a socially constructed phenomenon. Experiences of learning, unique and wholly individualized, contribute to a one’s sense of self and agency; in the case of the six artists featured in this study, creative experiences contribute to their identity as “artist” and motivated their pursuit of lifework and career. / text

The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of having academic mentors of similar heritage to facilitate higher academic attainment of first generation Mexican immigrants. The researcher assures to demonstrate how constructs such as mentorship, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, social and cultural capital, and similar heritage due to cultural values can positively influence and contribute to the success of English Language learners in academia. Through the mentorship relationship, students, particularly minority groups, can tap into social and cultural capital that would otherwise be limited due to their immigration to a foreign country. Immigration typically limits individuals’ ability to communicate in the predominant language, which in turn limits their ability to culturally relate or access social capital. Mentors, particularly those of similar heritage, through their shared stories can become role models as they exemplify self-efficacy and self-regulatory strategies. Family, especially for Mexican-immigrants, is one of their strongest values. Students, given their cultural values, seek opportunities to create a sense of family. Having left their country, their friends and family; it is only natural for immigrants to find comfort in relationships that resemble those with padrinos (godparents). In this case, the relationship is not through a spiritual connection, but through a mutual understanding of hardships, background, and heritage. For these reasons, mentors of similar heritage have the greatest positive impact when facilitate higher academic attainment of Mexican immigrants.

The attrition of beginning teachers is an ongoing problem for public schools as it impacts campus moral, results in economic losses, and maintains the number of newly-hired teachers. Although induction programs for beginning teachers have been found effective in reducing novice teacher attrition, funding for many induction programs have been eliminated due to budget constraints, leaving local school systems with limited support of the mentors and no consistency as to expectations or outcomes. Compounding this problem is that little research has examined what is most successful and supportive for mentors to be able to function most effectively. Guided by Knowles' theory of andragogy, this qualitative study examined the perceptions of experienced mentors about training and ongoing support. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 10 experienced mentor teachers from 4 elementary schools who were of various ages, subject areas, and years of experience. The interview data were coded for key words, repetitive phrases, and analyzed for common themes. Findings revealed that the mentors at the study site valued professional development, respect among participants, and ongoing collaboration. The resulting project was a mentor teacher training program for the study district that incorporated the study findings by focusing on how to best support novice teachers through respectful collaboration. Positive social change implications include providing the study district with a research-based training for teacher mentors which might create a stronger new teacher mentor program and ultimately reduce the attrition of beginning teachers.

This project study addressed nurses' perceptions of supports and barriers in transitioning from a clinician to a faculty role in a 3-year diploma nursing program located in Eastern Pennsylvania. This problem is significant at both the local and national level due to the shortage of qualified nursing faculty members. A qualitative case study design using in-depth interviews was used. The framework to guide the study was Schoening's Nurse Educator Transition (NET) Model. The guiding question addressed perceptions of new nursing faculty members regarding supports and barriers of transitioning to the faculty role. Interview questions focused on participants' identification of their current NET phase, description of an ideal transition into the faculty role, and perceived supports and barriers to role transition. Purposeful sampling was used to obtain 8 new nursing faculty members who had 5 years or less of teaching experience. Interview data were analyzed and coded using a priori codes based on the NET model. The themes identified from data analysis were: being thrown in with no orientation to the role, supportive colleagues, lack of support from administration, formal orientation, assigned resource person, time in the role, and asking questions. Based on findings from the study, an orientation/mentorship program was developed to help support clinical nurses' transition into the nursing faculty role. The orientation/mentorship program could lead to a positive social change by having nursing faculty members remain in their role long term, decreasing both the nursing faculty and registered nurse shortage.