Self-Other Stances in Reverse Mentoring for Workplace Inclusion: Mutual Relating Across Differences in Hierarchies and Identities

Abstract

Reverse mentoring (RM) is increasingly being utilized as a tool for learning in diverse workforces. Although previous studies highlight the importance of mutuality in RM relationships, there is a dearth of studies on mutual relating mechanisms in RM. This study explored how mentors who have minoritized identities and hold junior organizational positions and mentees who have privileged identities and hold senior organizational positions relate to each other mutually impact workplace inclusion. In-depth semi-structured interviews with RM dyads from a multinational company with headquarters in Australia were held. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was applied to explore how participants interpreted the ways in which they related to each other. Our findings indicate both mentees and mentors adopted a mutual self-other stance of relating in RM relationships, which enabled them to be attuned to each other's needs and develop a communal connection in their RM relationships. Our study derives a theoretical model of mutual self-other stances in RM underlying five mechanisms of mutual relating: (1) switching the learner-expert dynamics; (2) welcoming personalization; (3) using proactivity; (4) leaning on spontaneity; and (5) embracing vulnerability. Implications for research and practice on how this knowledge can help mentors, mentees, organizational leaders, and human resource development professionals to study, design, and implement RM programs for inclusion are presented.