The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationships between natural mentoring and youth academic achievement, attitudes towards school, and psychological well-being in a cross cultural sample of adolescents. It also sought to investigate whether it is the quality of the mentoring relationship and not simply the categorical presence of a natural mentor that is associated with positive youth outcomes. This study also examined the reliability and validity of the RHI-Y-M. Participants (n = 62) were recruited from two schools in rural Southern Illinois. Youth were asked to complete a survey packet of self-report questionnaires that included measures of attitudes towards school, life satisfaction, stress, and depression. The primary hypotheses were not supported. However, the RHI-Y-M demonstrated good reliability and concurrent validity. Limitations with regards to data collection and statistical power are discussed. The majority of youth identified natural mentors, and there was a significant association between the mentoring relationship and life satisfaction. These findings have implications for community and intervention programs involving youth.

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Text in Afrikaans / Summary in Afrikaans and English / Die Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika ervaar 'n behoefte aan 'n metode van menslikehulpbronontwikkeling waarvolgens die vaardighede van werknemers ontwikkel kan word sodat die organisasie kan aanpas by plaaslike en globale veranderinge. Gestruktureerde mentorskap is vervolgens geidentifiseer as 'n geskikte metode om in die bestaande behoefte te voorsien, aangesien mentorskap se loopbaan- en psigo-sosiale funksies die ontwikkeling van die professionele en persoonlike vaardighede van die werknemer moontlik maak. Daarby is mentorskap nie net voordelig vir die betrokkenes nie, maar dit hou ook besliste voordele in vir die organisasie en die sektor waarbinne die organisasie werksaam is. Die suksesvolle toepassing van gestruktureerde mentorskap is egter daaraan onderhewig dat die kontekstuele omgewing waarbinne dit toegepas gaan word, geskik moet wees, en werknemers moet bereid wees om betrokke te raak by so 'n program. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk vir die bestudering van mentorskap soos opgestel deur David Marshall Hunt en Carol Michael is derhalwe aangepas om die verskynsel "mentorskap" deur middel van 'n verkennende literatuuroorsig te bestudeer. Die bevindinge van die literatuuroorsig word ondersteun deur 'n empiriese ondersoek van die geskiktheid van die Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika as kontekstuele omgewing vir die toepassing van mentorskap en die bereidwilligheid van die werknemers van hierdie biblioteekorganisasie om betrokke te raak by die mentorskapproses. Die data wat ingesamel is, word ontleed en die gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak word oor bogenoemde twee vereistes vir die suksesvolle toepassing van mentorskap word uiteengesit. Die studie word afgesluit deur aanbevelings wat gemaak word oor aspekte van die toepassing van mentorskap wat verdere navorsing regverdig, maar wat nie binne die bestek van hierdie studie na behore aangespreek kon word nie. / Structured mentoring was identified as a method to develop the professional and personal skills of the employees of the National Library of South Africa in order to adjust to local and global changes. A conceptual framework for the study of mentoring, as developed by Hunt and Michael, was therefore critically adapted in order to investigate fully the phenomenon of "mentoring" by means of an exploratory literature review. The findings of the literature review are supported by an empirical survey to test the suitability of the National Library of South Africa as contextual environment for the application of mentoring, as well as the willingness of its employees to participate in mentoring. This culminated in an analysis and interpretation of the findings and formulation of conclusions regarding the two abovementioned requirements for the successful application of mentoring. The study ends with recommendations for further investigation into aspects of mentoring which could not be covered in this study. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Text in Afrikaans / Summary in Afrikaans and English / Die Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika ervaar 'n behoefte aan 'n metode van menslikehulpbronontwikkeling waarvolgens die vaardighede van werknemers ontwikkel kan word sodat die organisasie kan aanpas by plaaslike en globale veranderinge. Gestruktureerde mentorskap is vervolgens geidentifiseer as 'n geskikte metode om in die bestaande behoefte te voorsien, aangesien mentorskap se loopbaan- en psigo-sosiale funksies die ontwikkeling van die professionele en persoonlike vaardighede van die werknemer moontlik maak. Daarby is mentorskap nie net voordelig vir die betrokkenes nie, maar dit hou ook besliste voordele in vir die organisasie en die sektor waarbinne die organisasie werksaam is. Die suksesvolle toepassing van gestruktureerde mentorskap is egter daaraan onderhewig dat die kontekstuele omgewing waarbinne dit toegepas gaan word, geskik moet wees, en werknemers moet bereid wees om betrokke te raak by so 'n program. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk vir die bestudering van mentorskap soos opgestel deur David Marshall Hunt en Carol Michael is derhalwe aangepas om die verskynsel "mentorskap" deur middel van 'n verkennende literatuuroorsig te bestudeer. Die bevindinge van die literatuuroorsig word ondersteun deur 'n empiriese ondersoek van die geskiktheid van die Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika as kontekstuele omgewing vir die toepassing van mentorskap en die bereidwilligheid van die werknemers van hierdie biblioteekorganisasie om betrokke te raak by die mentorskapproses. Die data wat ingesamel is, word ontleed en die gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak word oor bogenoemde twee vereistes vir die suksesvolle toepassing van mentorskap word uiteengesit. Die studie word afgesluit deur aanbevelings wat gemaak word oor aspekte van die toepassing van mentorskap wat verdere navorsing regverdig, maar wat nie binne die bestek van hierdie studie na behore aangespreek kon word nie. / Structured mentoring was identified as a method to develop the professional and personal skills of the employees of the National Library of South Africa in order to adjust to local and global changes. A conceptual framework for the study of mentoring, as developed by Hunt and Michael, was therefore critically adapted in order to investigate fully the phenomenon of "mentoring" by means of an exploratory literature review. The findings of the literature review are supported by an empirical survey to test the suitability of the National Library of South Africa as contextual environment for the application of mentoring, as well as the willingness of its employees to participate in mentoring. This culminated in an analysis and interpretation of the findings and formulation of conclusions regarding the two abovementioned requirements for the successful application of mentoring. The study ends with recommendations for further investigation into aspects of mentoring which could not be covered in this study. / Information Science / M. Inf.