Accession Number:

AD1096699

Title:

Insights from the Marine Corps Organizational Culture Research Project: Rethinking Mentorship

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

CENTER FOR ADVANCED OPERATIONAL AND CULTURAL TRAINING QUANTICO VA QUANTICO United States

Personal Author(s):

• Lane,Rebecca
• Post,Kristin
• Foster,Kerry

Report Date:

2020-04-15

Pagination or Media Count:

22.0

Abstract:

The Marine Corps and its Marines practice mentorship in a way that is closely aligned with leadership. Specifically, mentorship is often conceptualized, both in organizational publications and by Marines themselves, as an intra-unit endeavor and as something that senior-ranking Marines do to junior-ranking Marines. This unit-hierarchy model of mentorship has served many Marines well, but, according to Marines in our study, it has some significant blind spots. This report discusses those blind spots and addresses choice as an important element of the mentor-mentee relationship. We suggest that promoting mentorship choices outside of the unit and chain of command may provide Marines with maximum mentorship potential. We provide examples of how some Marines have cultivated beneficial mentoring relationships outside of their command, highlighting how this choice is particularly vital for women.

Descriptors:

• basic training
• careers
• communities
• counseling
• demography
• education
• active duty
• general officers
• perception
• personnel management
• anthropology
• international relations
• military organizations
• schools
• social sciences
• instructors
• sociology
• marine corps
• personality
• training

Subject Categories:

• Military Forces and Organizations
• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE