Category: Mentorship

Type and Purpose of the Research

The specific type of study was experimental, which is a form of study research in which scholars measure the statistical relationship between variables when manipulating some of them and determining the outcomes of the manipulation. The researchers reasoned that strategies intended to reduce negative affect and boost rapport can improve interracial relationships between mentors and their mentees (Leitner, Ayduk, & Mendoza-Denton, 2018). By using video chats and face-to-face interviews, the scholars changed the degree of participants mutual self-disclosure with the goal of obtaining an improvement of rapport and affect indicators.

The studys purpose was to understand how mentors and mentees within an interracial environment could improve their relationships. This objective is particularly relevant to the interracial relationships because of the previous research indicating that the quality of connections in same-race mentoring was higher than in interracial ones. In addition, the issue of underrepresentation also played a role in defining the studys purpose as the management and professoriate staff has shown to lack the representatives of racial minorities. Therefore, many mentees of color will have to receive mentorship from white instructors, which may complicate their relationships and limit the desired outcomes of mentorship.

Taking into account previous work, the researchers identified that negative affect and poor rapport among individuals were the key contributors to poor mentorship relationships; however, little information is available as to the strategies that can help solve the issues (Leitner et al., 2018). The main research question formulated for the study was whether the performance of mentees and the feedback provided by mentors in interracial mentoring dyads could improve as a result of decreasing negative affect and increasing rapport between the two individuals.

Framework

The conceptual framework used by the researchers was concerned with the understanding of the impact of rapport and negative affect on interracial mentoring relationships. Negative affect, which is defined as unpleasant or subjective feelings or mood, could present significant limitations to the mentoring process. For example, mentors may exhibit prejudice or racial stereotyping targeted at their mentees, and any constructive criticism would be interpreted as a negative affect in the eyes of an individual of color. In addition, the mere anticipation of being negatively perceived due to race is a significant contributor to adverse psychological outcomes. Rapport represents the degree to which individuals feel a sense of closeness and interconnectedness, and the researchers suggested that it might be lower among interracial dyads.

The theoretical framework was applied through adjusting the different levels of affect and rapport within interracial mentorship dyads to determine whether such changes would improve the quality of relationships. In alignment with the theoretical framework introduced in the study, the researchers modeled poor affect as a parallel mediator while baseline negative affect represented the control variable. By doing so, it was possible to increase participants self-disclosure as a predictor of increased rapport, which subsequently increased positive feedback and warmth within interracial mentorship dyads.

Methodology

The researchers aimed to determine the correlation between rapport and affect and mentorship relationships within interracial dyads. To reach the aim, experimental research was conducted, which implies a methodology that adheres specifically to scientific study design. This research design calls for the formulation of a hypothesis, the identification of a variable that can be manipulated and variables that can be measured, compared, or calculated. The research design of the study aligns with the experimental methodology because the scholars operated within a controlled environment and were the ones to manipulate the variables.

Three studies were carried out in the research to address different goals and measurements. Study 1 included 155 participants recruited from the Mechanical Turk and Qualtrics Panel. The participants targeted for the study identified either as Black or Latino. After the baseline measure completion, the participants were asked to take part in an experiment during which they would assume the roles of students and to perform a speech to be later assessed by a mentor.

In study 2, there were 144 participants identifying as White, taking the role of mentors that would provide online feedback to the speeches performed by the participants from Study 1. In study 3, 116 participants were recruited from a pool of students of an introductory psychology course to make up 58 dyads. Study 3 intended to examine whether, within face-to-face interracial mentorship environment, positive affect and rapport among mentees and their mentors would have the same implications an in the previous two studies.

As methods of data analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were carried out. ANOVA is a statistical method used for checking if the means of two or more groups are significantly different from one another. The approach is important for allowing to identify the influence of one or more factors through comparing the means of different samples, as applied to Study 1, Study 2, and Study 3 of the research. ANCOVA, on the other hand, is a combination of an ANOVA and regression analysis. Its use is attributed to the examination of the influence of an independent variable on the dependent one while the effect of the covariance factor is being removed.

Findings and Conclusions

Across three experiments implemented by the researchers, the increased rapport through self-disclosure and the decreased negative affect were associated with mentees improved performance as well as more helpful and positive feedback for mentors. These findings are central to the study because they show that a good quality of mentorship could lead to the improved professional and personal growth of trainees, with interracial mentorship becoming widely common in many domains. The researchers confirmed that their results were consistent with the available studies on the same topic that pointed out that an overall positive rapport and affect would benefit mentorship relationships within interracial dyads.

The research concluded that such factors as affect and rapport were both essential components of mentoring connections as shown in both online and face-to-face settings. Such results can be used as a starting framework for future interventions and research intended to enhance both the performance and retention of individual groups that have been either under- or misrepresented historically. Such interventions could result in an effective workforce that can meet the needs and demands of a highly diversified society.

Evaluation

The limitation of the study addressed by the researcher is linked to the fact that only a certain number of mentorship dyads was possible to study, which means that over an extended period of time, the quality of relationships within a mentorship dyad. It is essential for future studies to examine how the phenomena explored in the research by Leitner et al. (2018) would progress and change over time. Unexpectedly, the researchers found no observed advantages on reducing negative affect for mentors quality of feedback or benefits of rapport for the overall performance of mentees. Future studies may address these limitations while also considering the gender differences in mentors and mentees since the current research did not explore how gender impacts the nature of relationships within mentorship dyads.

The study supports the findings of research available on the topic of interracial mentorship when it comes to the impact of specific relationship characteristics on the effectiveness of a mentorship program. Importantly, the research allows for the understanding as to how the potential benefits of mentorship relationships, considering the availability of supporting evidence regarding the quality of mentorships being better in same-race dyads. The unique look on the nature of mentorships and the considerations of positive rapport and affect among mentors and mentees reveals the strategies that it is possible to implement strategies that would improve the relationships, creating a favorable environment for the training and information exchange.

The usefulness of the study for the personal research purpose is attributed to the possibility of using the findings in the exploration of how the mentoring of African American females occurs in the context of federal government and senior leadership positions. Both affect and rapport, which were found to contribute to the relationships between interracial mentors and mentees, should be considered as important barriers or facilitators of African American females mentorship, especially when it comes to the risks of racial prejudice or stereotyping. In addition, the findings of the research support the opportunity to study the perceptions of real women within the context of interracial and inter-gender mentorship.

Reference

Leitner, J. B., Ayduk, O., & Mendoza-Denton, R. (2018). Reducing negative affect and increasing rapport improvement on interracial mentorship outcomes. PloS One, 13(4), e0194123. Web.

Abstract

For many years, the role of young men in teenage pregnancies has been neglected as much attention has been paid to the girls. Due to this neglect, many teenage fathers do not take responsibility for their children leaving it all to the teenage mothers.

They have also been involved directly in abortion cases as many of them pressure their partners to have abortions claiming they are not ready for parenthood. It is for this reason that mentoring programs for the young fathers have been developed to help facilitate the participation of the boys in teenage pregnancies.

The mentoring programs are aimed at instilling responsibility values to the young fathers, not only to relieve the burden left on the mothers, but also to facilitate parental rights to the children. These programs have had positive results and are highly recommendable to those regions that have not yet implemented them especially the developing countries. This paper examines the effective advancement of mentorship programs for teenage fathers across the globe.

Introduction

Young teenage boys have, for a very long time, been neglected in regard to teenage pregnancy. This is focused on promoting teenage parental rights to children. This has made the federal government agencies such as children focused organizations, gender-based organizations as well as the States to step up their child support mechanisms, efforts and enforcement to curb the increasing teenage pregnancy issue. This has led to an increased awareness on the broken bridge between young teenage mothers and their counterparts.

This has heightened the increase in the development of young fathers teenage mentorship programs which are aimed to train them about their responsibility as fathers and at the same time, to assist them avoid engaging in more sexual activities that may lead to other pregnancies. The need to realize that these young men have an increasing sexual drive calls for the need to approach them on a module of pregnancy prevention rather than sexual activity avoidance.

This recognition of the neglected teen pregnancy puzzle where boys and men lack recognition as key elements in the prevention efforts has led to much development over the past few years. At least almost forty states have implemented or are planning to implement strategies to prevent unwanted pregnancies or too early fatherhood (Sauls and Glassley, 2003, p. 27). This is according to The National Center for Children in Poverty.

On the other hand, over half of these states are adopting community or school based initiatives which are pro-male teen so as to enable prevention of teen pregnancy as well as to curb the same. One of the most commendable practices within some of these states is the development of a curriculum for middle class school students to teach responsible fatherhood.

Over the past years, family clinics have also been very instrumental in teaching young mothers on how to raise their kids as well as how to prevent further pregnancies. These clinics have broken their traditional approach and have also introduced programs for young men and teen fathers as well. Community based programs led by men have also been very effective where adolescent boys and teen fathers are given the platform to interact with adult men and fathers.

Mentorship Programs

This program is very effective in streamlining fatherhood responsibilities to these young fathers as it gives them a more pragmatic opportunity to discuss their difficulties in passage to manhood and responsible fatherhood at the same time.

This helps the young boys a great deal for they learn from the experienced adult men and fathers who guide them at every step of the way not as a parent figure but as a big brother figure which is more lenient to the teen fathers and boys for it gives them the privilege to feel and act mature which has been very effective.

The most recent development has been in the male juvenile centers where the criminal justice system is also playing part in prevention efforts of early pregnancy as well as teen fatherhood responsibility (Rowen, Wilsherl, Shaw and Rager, 2005, p. 230). Media campaigns on the other hand have come a long way in prevention of further pregnancies among the teens and this has been through encouraging teen boys to abstain from sexual intercourse or to either use contraception if they are sexually active.

The recognition of the increased sexual behavior by the media is very fruitful in avoiding such unwanted pregnancies at the same time advocating for responsible parenting campaigns which discourage young mothers from giving up their children for adoption as well as encouraging the young fathers to assist their female counterparts to take care of the children together and offer emotional support.

Aims of the Mentorship Programs

The ultimate goal for these mentorship programs is to assist the young men (teen boys and teen fathers) to understand the basic principles about creating a family and taking their rightful positions and responsibilities as men to both their children and wives (teen mothers).

Some of the basic principles intended for the young men include: the capacity to know that it takes two to create a pregnancy therefore each party should be held responsible for their sexual behavior. This seeks to instill a responsibility mental image to young fathers where they take up their roles as fathers to their children.

The programs also seek to lure the young men to be the responsible and the cautious ones with their sexual partners where they should make sure before intercourse they either use condoms (most preferred contraception method) or they make sure that their sexual counterparts (teen girls) have taken adequate and less harmful but effective contraceptive pills. Thus these programs enlighten the young fathers and boys to take up their role as responsible fathers and to uphold integrity as well as be cautious towards their sexual partners.

This is because male partners have strong influence over the decisions made by their counterparts (teen girls) about sex and contraception. They are also enlightened that it is a criminal offence to engage teen girls into sex so the older they are, the more they will be held criminally accountable (Brindis, Barenbaum, Sanchez-Flores, Mccarter and Chand, 2005, p. 44).

The mentorship programs also seek to develop these young men as responsible fathers as well as responsible community members by offering them education, skills, employment opportunities and hope which is aimed at building self-respect and self-determination to the young fathers in a bid to carry out their responsibilities both as responsible fathers and community members. This is also geared to respect their counterparts (teen mothers) and offer the necessary support to her and the children as well.

The Underlying Issues

To tap into these young men and fathers, there is a need to understand how they think and react under certain conditions or pressures especially the ones related to sex and parenting. For instance, teen boys below the age of 14 years are more likely to listen and comply with what their parents or adults tell them and this is called male-invulnerability. On the other hand, teens at their later ages tend to develop a more realistic sense of the risks associated with sexual behaviors.

Though there are other underlying conditions which need to be addressed in the mentorship programs such as family environment, class, race, family attitudes, sexual partners views and opinions towards them. The programs should also seek to help these young fathers realize their full potentials as well as their contributions to the world which would help them be mature and rational when making decisions pertaining to issues like abortion and regard to human life.

They also need to understand how to develop their sense of identity. The programs also need to address the pursuit for autonomy and independence for these teen fathers as well as their relationship connections with their families (Ngu and Florsheim, 2011, p. 196). This as well wills increase their understanding and approach to their sexual activities, contraceptive use and the responsibility they owe to their children and teen-mothers.

Tactics Used in Mentorship Programs

The programs seek to use a number of techniques so as to be in a position to lure the young fathers into accepting their rightful responsibilities as parents. There is a dire need for the mentors to first understand the language these teens use. That is, they should speak the cultural language of participating boys and teens.

This is because often teens tune out certain messages that do not sound credible. Therefore, the need for the mentors to learn and understand the teen language for it is through this that the teen fathers/boys gain credibility and meaning of what their mentors want to say and it creates a depth meaning to them.

Therefore, these programs should always seek to ask questions and at the same time learn what teen boys think, what it is that excites them, what it is that they yearn to become in future and from this the programs curriculum can be well conditioned to these preferences and tastes among these young boys.

This approach gets the teens to perceive and decipher the intended message thus the program becomes successful in its own right. For the example, Los Compadres which is located in Santa Barbara (California) has a mentorship program which teaches young men and teen fathers the true meaning of being a responsible man (Government of Alberta, 2009, p. 1).

The other tactic the mentors use/should use is to teach these teen fathers and boys on how to understand, communicate as well as respect women (teen mothers/teen girls).

This approach should engage supervised mixed sex peer groups where these two groups, teen fathers and boys are mixed with teen mothers and teen girls and are taught together on how to respect and communicate with each other (Rowen, Wilsherl, Shaw and Robin, 2005, p. 230).

This should be coupled with plays and acts demonstrating different scenarios which involve pregnancy issues, abortion issues, respect of life issues, fatherhood and motherhood responsibilities towards the children and child rights.

Real life scenarios should also be brought forth where experienced persons who got pregnant at teenage should be invited to give talks and guidance to these young ones from a realistic point of view which is very effective. Such peer-to-peer learning sessions do have a very big impact for they assist young mothers and fathers to accept the underlying facts and take responsibilities for their actions.

Challenges faced by the Programs and Proposed Solutions

One of the hurdles faced by these programs is the consistency of the teen/boys attendance and adherence to advice taken. This is because naturally, men and boys are usually hard to reach out to as well as to get them to understand certain issue especially where respect is paramount (Sauls and Glassley, 2003, p. 27).

The fact that boys are also generally reluctant creates a need to invest in high quality staff and mentors who are well versed with situations of dealing with adolescent groups since there is a high need for mobilizing a group composed of teen boys for such a group can be hectic to handle if one does not understand the mechanics of handling such a group since this can lead to disillusionment to the mentors and at times they may even quit.

Therefore, the staff should be composed of highly intelligent, charismatic, not-easily intimidated and sharp mentors to spear head such programs.

Conclusion

The increase of mentorship programs for young men, teen-fathers and teen boys on the issue of pregnancy comes at an opportune time where the HIV epidemic and other sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase among the teenagers. Therefore, there is the need for the public heath pioneers to continue encouraging males to use condoms which are the best contraceptive for avoiding both pregnancy and STDs.

This shows there is a major concern to recognize the role of male in teen pregnancy. A good example is the Family Service Providers whose earlier programs focused on mothers and their children such as Head Start has started to reach out to fathers (Agrassroots Fatherhood Movement) which is led by small community-based support groups which are focusing on teaching, training and advising young boys on consequences of early pregnancy as well as the ways on how to be a responsible father in case one of the teens is a father already.

These mentorship programs of teen fathers have become very effective both in the family setting and responsible fatherhood for it has made the programming of girls more effective when addressing the teen pregnancy issue where both teens engaging in sexual activities are aware of the underlying consequences which create responsibility between the two.

This brings in a developed mutual relationship where these teens focus is diverted from being negative to being positive while looking at the bright side of things such as the programs help the parties to recognize that the child is a gift and not a curse nor a disadvantage. Consequently, successful mentoring programs must include a component designed to encourage parental support and involvement in their teens lives (Rowen, Wilsherl, Shaw-Perry and Robin, 2005, p. 227).

Reference List

Brindis, D, Barenbaum, M, Sanchez-Flores, H, Mccarter, V and Chand, R. (2005) Lets Hear It for the Guys: Californias Male Involvement Program. International Journal of Mens Health 4.1: 29-53. Print.

Government of Alberta. (2009) High School Teen Mentoring Handbook. Alberta Advanced Education & Technology. Alberta, CA: Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, Print.

Ngu, L and Paul F. (2011) Among Young High-Risk Fathers across the Transition to Parenthood. Family Process 50.2: 184-202. Print.

Rowen, W, Shaw-Perry, M and Rager, R. (2005) Essential Components of a Mentoring Program for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. American Journal of Health Studies 20.4: 225-232. Print.

Sauls, D and Glassley, J. (2003) Development of the Adolescent Support Model. The Journal of Theory Construction & Testing 15.1 (n.d): 24-30. Print.

Sample and Setting

Number of Subjects

To carry out a detailed analysis of the effects that peer-mentoring and self-management have on patients suffering from pain, one will have to recruit a total of at least 200 participants. Thus, the foundation for an all-embracive analysis can be created. With the above information in mind, one will have to consider using a sample size of 120 people. Thus, a basis for retrieving credible results can be built (Creswell, 2014).

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

The participants will be recruited among the people that suffer from pain and need strategies that will help reduce it. Since the perception of pain is individual and, therefore, measuring pain intensity is going to be problematic, it will be necessary to recruit the people that have the same condition (e.g., cancer). Thus, the results of the study will remain homogenous.

Sampling Strategy

To make sure that the outcomes of the study should remain objective, it will be necessary to provide every participant with an equal choice to be selected as a part of the sample group. Therefore, the use of random sampling is recommended. The identified framework will help reduce biases (Grove, Gray, & Burns, 2014).

Research Design

Description

The research will be conducted as a quasi-experimental randomized control trial. The participants will be represented by two main groups, i.e., Group A, where peer mentoring and self-management will be used, and the control group, where traditional approaches to pain alleviation are utilized. A comparison between the two will shed light on the subject matter.

Rationale

It is crucial to make sure that the research is modeled after a real-life scenario. Thus, the efficacy of the study will remain high. Furthermore, the introduction of randomness into the study will help make the outcomes more objective (McKean, Ross, & Dressler, 2016).

References

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Grove, C. K., Gray, J. R., & Burns, N. (2014). Understanding nursing research. Building an evidence-based practice. New York, NY: Elsevier Health Sciences.

McKean, S., Ross, J., & Dressler, D. D. (2016). Principles and practice of hospital medicine. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professional.

Nursing preceptors are qualified, experienced, and adept nurses mandated to professionally guide new inexperienced graduate nurses and other new staff members joining the facility or department for a specified period. Their goal is to enhance the confidence and competence of the novice and new nurses to ensure they deliver high-standard care. On the other hand, nursing mentors are experienced nurses who serve as role models, providing professional support to the new graduates and experienced BSN inside and outside the working environment for an unspecified period of time. Nurse preceptors and mentors are critical pillars in enhancing nursing professionalism and competence.

New graduates benefit from the preceptorship by acquiring the required assistance to put the knowledge they gained during their training into practice. For the case of experienced BSN, it helps in instilling confidence and a sense of belonging in the place of work. In addition, it promotes self-identity to pursue professional development needs for both the new graduate and experienced BSN (Carson-Newman University, 2021). On the other hand, mentorship helps develop leadership skills such as accountability in health care delivery, proper communication skills, collaboration, and teamwork for new graduates. Experienced BSN acquires skills in handling administrative tasks, supervision, and effective patient care in their new departments (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2020). Generally, the benefits gained from the nurse preceptor and mentor do not differ but complement each other.

The recommended duration for precentorship is 12 months from the time of joining the facility. This is adequate time for new graduate preceptee to familiarize themselves with their roles and responsibilities. Experienced BSN preceptee learn about emerging practices in their current departments, job descriptions, and general expectations as duly qualified registered nurses. However, their precentorship duration should be less than 12 months since they already have experience and have served in different capacities. (CapitalNurse, 2017). Mentorship for new graduates has no time limits since there is new knowledge development every day through experiences while going about daily duties; learning is endless. They take part in handling critical cases and experience how decisions are made by factoring in what is urgent against what is not. Experienced BSN benefits from the exchange of new ideas and efficient ways of tackling emerging issues in the nursing fraternity (Setati & Nkosi, 2017). It also raises their confidence since they are involved and sometimes consulted while making important decisions within the department

Any experienced nurse can volunteer as a mentor, and a mentee can approach them in volition. If mentees feel they are not getting the relevant support they need, they are free to choose any qualified and competent mentor of their choice to be a role model; however, whoever they opt for must be experienced and competent (Mills, 2021). If receptors are not delivering what they ought to, they are reported to relevant authorities (Union Media, n.d.). This will allow them to take measures to address the issues without interfering with normal operations in the affected department.

As a requirement of any conflict resolution, there must be an admission from parties involved that it does exist. Once achieved, a sit-down to address the issue is organized, and rules are set. Everyone involved must express willingness to resolve the issue without conditions or offending anyone. Suppose there is no achievement of an amicable solution; a third has to be involved as a mediator to bring a solution that will enable smooth operations and coordination of the department (OHSU, n.d.). This approach is applied to both new graduates and experienced BSN with their respective preceptors and mentors.

References

CapitalNurse. (2017). Preceptorship Framework  Health Education England. NHS. Web.

Carson-Newman University. (2021). 5 inspiring benefits of preceptorship. Carson-Newman. Web.

Mills, M. (2021). 4 reasons nurses need mentors. Allnurses. Web.

Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2020). Principles of preceptorship. The Nursing and Midwifery Council. Web.

OHSU. (n.d.). School of Medicine Mentoring. OHSU. Web.

Setati, C. M., & Nkosi, Z. Z. (2017). The perceptions of professional nurses on student mentorship in clinical areas: A study in Polokwane Municipality hospitals, Limpopo Province. Health SA Gesondheid. Web.

Union Media. (n.d.). What to do when your preceptor is a bully. Union Test Prep. Web.

The activity selected for this journal entry was a Counseling and Mentorship Program held in December 2013. The event took place in our campus. The purpose of the mentorship program was to educate and widen their learning skills of the targeted children. The National Hispanic University and other stakeholders in the community sponsored the event. The institution promotes similar events in order to tutor and mentor Hispanic children between 13 and 16 years.

The program also targeted to inform these individuals about the relevance of schooling in the Hispanic society. This event was successful because most of the children were ready to exchange their expectations and views about life. The institution supported the event by providing the necessary materials such as textbooks, internet, pens, and pencils. This fact explains how the institution has always supported the Hispanic community.

I selected the activity because it was voluntary. I have always volunteered in order to help different people in my community. I also participated in the activity because it would widen my leadership and organizational competencies. I also decided to use the activity to know more about the issues affecting Hispanic teenagers. The activity would give me a wider picture about the specific challenges and obstacles affecting many students in the society. The participants would also get a certificate after completing the event successfully.

I had the privilege to answer some of the questions raised by our listeners. I also encouraged the individuals to read widely and manage their time well. Most of the volunteers were happy to share their ideas with the listeners. I was also the coordinator throughout the period. I interacted with many learners and informed them about the best practices towards a successful academic life. This experience widened my skills as a team player. I also welcomed more children from the Hispanic community to be part of the program. I will always be ready to help these children in order to achieve their goals. Most of the volunteers had a wonderful throughout the exercise.

There are many advantages of pursuing similar opportunities. These activities give students the opportunity to widen their organizational skills and develop new competencies as future leaders. Such opportunities also widen a persons problem-solving and communication skills. The practice will also widen their interpersonal, interactional, and decision-making skills. As well, the practice offers new educational solutions to many children from the Hispanic community. The exercise encourages students to focus on the major issues affecting the society such as environmental conservation or drug abuse. This explains why it is necessary to pursue similar opportunities.

In conclusion, this exercise contributed a lot to my academic goals. I have gained new research and analytical skills. I will use these insights to improve my reading skills. I have also developed the best interpersonal and interactional skills. I am also planning to use these competencies in my private life. I have also developed new competencies as a critical thinker. This explains why I will always address every issue affecting my life. The activity has also widened my professional practice. This opportunity has equipped me with new ideas. I will also use these skills at my workplace. I will also select the best career depending on the changing needs of our societies. This discussion explains why I am ready to be part of these programs in the future.

Executive Summary

Workplace shortages have become a common problem in Australia. Because of the upgraded demands towards employees and the unwillingness of the latter to train their professional skills on their own, the Australian public companies and private entrepreneurships have developed a strategy of mentoring, which has already been launched in several companies, yet its aftereffects still remain unexplored. By considering the opportunities that the mentoring approach can offer, as well as evaluating the threats that it poses, one can possibly decide whether approving mentoring in public and private companies is truly worth it.

Introduction: Where Workplace Shortages Stem from

Australian companies are facing a crisis. The lack of qualified workforce is having its toll on the companies performance (Fang, 2009). Although reasons might vary according to the chosen field, a number of companies in Australia suffer from the same problem, which is the inability of adopting the recent changes and innovations fast and efficiently (Jaworski, 2010). Therefore, the factors that cause workplace shortage are:

• Problems with tracking recent innovations (Kilpatrick, Johns, Millar, Le & Routley, 2007);
• High community expectations (Beth, 2012);
• High workforce expectations (Lindsay, Hanson, Taylor & NcBurney, 2008);
• Absence of cohesive organizational behavior principles (Iacono, 2010);
• Absence of clearly established corporate values, company mission and vision (Cummings & Patel, 2009).

The Consequences of Workplace Shortages

As one might have expected, workplace shortages will most likely lead to the most deplorable results in the nearest future.

Finally, the lack of qualified workforce will probably lead to such phenomenon as migrant workforce. Therefore, the work quality will drop even lower, while the unemployment rates will sharply increase.

Concerning the existing Alternatives: Workplace Mentoring and More

A number of strategies have been provided to solve the above-mentioned problem. However, only three of them seem viable enough. Of these three, mentoring might be considered the most costly and time-consuming, yet it clearly has fewer drawbacks and will lead to better results.

The Potential of Workplace Mentoring

Naturally, mentoring has a number of advantages compared to other strategies suggested as an alternative for the Australian entrepreneurships to adopt. For example, raising the retirement age seems a rather unjust move, while mentoring is, on the contrary, a very reasonable suggestion. Among the key benefits, the following must be mentioned:

• Upgrading the employees skills (Rayburn, 2010);
• Using an individual approach (Holding, 2012);
• Learning the employees to adopt a different (optimistic) approach towards working and learning (Burgess & Dyer, 2009);
• Promoting the idea of lifelong (self-motivated) learning (Morrison, 2004).

It is also crucial that the chosen workplace mentor should have a set of specific qualities that will help the given mentor train the employees in the most efficient way possible. The given issue is rather debatable, though, since it picks a question concerning whether a mentor should train solely the employees professional qualities, or their organizational behavior. In the latter case, it is important that the mentor should have the following qualities:

The qualities in the left column will help the trainer upgrade the trainees skills, while the qualities in the right column will modify the trainees behavior.

The Possible Obstacles and Negative Outcomes

It would be wrong, however, to assume that mentoring is an impeccable approach for any Australian entrepreneurship to adopt in order to raise employees motivation. Mentoring also has its flaws, which have to be taken into account as long as the company leader is willing to get a positive effect out of the specified approach. With that said, one must remember that mentoring, as a rule, implies the following flaws:

Conflicts between the trainer and the trainee

Arguments in the trainertrainee are inevitable; moreover, they are necessary. In order to make the employee take interest in self-development, a trainer must offer challenging tasks, the difficulty of which will surely trigger conflicts, yet will teach employees to handle complexities at work (Ghosh, Dierkes & Falletta, 2011).

Bringing the employees self-esteem down

Providing a grown-up person with a trainer who is said to be trying to improve the skills of the latter and, which might be considered even ore humiliating, change the attitude of the employee towards his/her work might be regarded by this employee as a sign of his/her incompetence. Unless (s)he failed at his/her work and was irresponsible for the task that (s)he had been assigned with, the employer would have never resorted to hiring a trainer  these are the kind of ideas that will definitely rush through the employees mind. Therefore, it is crucial that the company manager or, more reasonably, an HRM team, should explain the purpose of the trainers and where the necessity to change the current state of affairs stems from (Eby, Durley; Evans & Ragins, 2008).

Decreasing the rates of responsibility

Not a very plausible concern, it should be considered anyway as a threatening possibility. Once a grown-up person accepts that (s)he is going to have someone tracking his/her actions and controlling his/her steps, the quality of the employees performance might go down a few notches, since (s)he will feel the coach, not the employee is responsible for the outcomes. Hence, it is up to the company and/or the coach that the employee should retain his/her responsibilities (Griggs, 2012).

Workplace Mentoring Strategies

Needless to say, a number of workplace mentoring strategies have been developed over a relatively short period of time because of the promising concept that the given approach offers. As a result, company leaders face a wide range of strategic choices that will most likely predetermine the course in which their company is going to develop. Therefore, workplace mentoring seems the optimum decision at present (Washington, 2011). Even though the given approach is relatively new, it has already evolved far enough to offer the company leaders several mentoring types to choose from. Among the most popular, the following kinds of workplace mentorship must be name:

• Setting the goals and splitting them into objectives;
• Learning to distinguish between personal, professional and career goals;
• Differentiating between personal needs and the needs of the company;
• Providing the ways to link personal needs and the needs of the company;
• Learning new professional strategies and tactics;
• Applying the new learned strategies to practice.

Conclusion: Mentoring as the Most Promising Coping Mechanism

Therefore, it cannot be doubted that workplace mentoring is bound to become an Australian foot forward in dealing with workplace shortages. While mentoring might be considered as displaying a lack of trust towards the potential employees and a definitely overbearing, parenting attitude towards the company staff, it is still clear that mentoring will help not only train the employees accordingly, but also provide a behavioral model for them to follow.

Instead of changing the corporate climate and adapting private and public companies towards what employees would like to see them  calm, stale environment with little problems and even less progress  the Australian entrepreneurs seem to have taken risks to provide employees with role models to live up to. While some will certainly find the message too on-the-nose, the idea of representing a model employee who will be able to both mildly control the team and stream their activity in the right direction looks very promising at present.

Reference List

Beth, M. (2012). High performance workplaces of the future. The Queensland Nurse, 31(1), 3.

Burgess, J. & Dyer, S. (2009). Workplace mentoring for indigenous Australians: a case study. Equal Opportunities International, 28 (6), 465  485.

Cummings, L. & Patel, C. (2009). Managerial attitudes toward a stakeholder prominence within a Southeast Asia context. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.

Eby, L. T., Durley, J. R., Evans, S. C., Ragins, B. R. (2008). Mentors perceptions of negative mentoring experiences: Scale development and nomological validation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 358-373.

Fang, T. (2009). Workplace responses to vacancies and skill shortages in Canada. International Journal of Manpower, 30(4), 326-348.

Ghosh, R., Dierkes, S. & Falletta, S. (2011). Incivility spiral in mentoring relationships: Reconceptualizing negative mentoring as deviant workplace behavior. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 13(1), 22-39.

Griggs, C. (2012). Mentoring community-based trainee assistant practitioners: a case study. British Journal of Community Nursing, 17(7), 328-32.

Holding, G. (2012). Introducing mentoring: A guide for mentors and organisers of mentoring schemes. Bloomington, IN: Balbo Press.

Jaworski, K. (2010). Minding the gaps: Examining skill shortages in Australian rural non-agricultural workplaces. Journal of Management and Organization, 18(4), 499-515.

Iacono, T. (2010). Addressing increasing demands on Australian disability support workers. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 35(4), 290  295

Rayburn, C. A. (2010). A handbook for women mentors: Transcending barriers of stereotype, race, and ethnicity. Santa-Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Kilpatrick, S. I., Johns, S. S., Millar, P., Le, Q., Routley, G. (2008). Skill shortages in health: innovative solutions using vocational education and training. Rural And Remote Health, 7(1), 623.

Lindsay, R., Hanson, L., Taylor, M. & NcBurney, H. (2008). Workplace stressors experienced by physiotherapists working in regional public hospitals. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 16(4), 194-200.

Morrison, R. (2004). Informal relationships in the workplace: Associations with job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intentions. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 33(3),114-128.

Washington, C. E. (2011). Mentoring, organizational rank, and womens perceptions of advancement opportunities in the workplace. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(9), 162.

Executive Summary

This report aims to propose some of the most useful solutions to the most frustrating problems in a firm. Every firm or company has various types of problems all of which, if not rightly dealt with, damages the very existence of the company. When there are some such burning issues are on the way, the firms make every possible step to see the issues resolved as early and effectively as possible, so that the issue does not affect the functioning of the firm.

Here, in this proposal, a very practical and effective formal mentoring program is proposed to one of the most significant issues in the firm called The General Mobiles. All the employees in the firm, including the top executives and the lower-level employees, are frustrated  the former about the objectionable demands of the latter, and the latter about the way the top officials treat them. There has been a serious need for an effective mentoring program in the firm as requested by many employees themselves.

In this formal proposal to the Executive Committee, various aspects such as the selection method for the mentoring program, the mentoring process, and the evaluation criteria for assessing the mentoring program will be incorporated so that the committee is able to arrive at a decision without much problems.

Introduction

The General Mobiles is a firm which has always sought and made use of the service of the most modern organizational strategies in the development of its organizational efficiency. It is of great particular mention that the firm has ever made use of the most reputed systems in dealing with the various critical issues of the firm. Now, the firm is facing a similar situation in which it has to avail the most efficient mentoring program in the good functioning of the organization.

As the company recognizes the importance of mentoring in the firm as the service of a professional mentor with all the potential to solve the problem in the firm would the best expectable solution to the issues. The issues in the firm are not without reason or without remedies. Executive mentoring is the strategy by which both the individual employee as well as the company as a whole enjoys the best results. Mentoring as a practice has existed in organizations and there is no debate on the value the relationship between the mentor and the mentee adds to the growth of the individual employee apart from contributing to the performance of the organization (The managementor. Com, 2003).

In this proposal, a very effective formal mentoring program, with all considerations for various elements that are to be seen through, is proposed. As a first step, the issues that exist in the firm are identified and their possible solutions are suggested.

Purpose, Scope, and Limitations

The purpose of the formal report has been to assess the various issues in The General Mobiles in order to make the best suggestion of the possible solutions to them. Also, the report to the Executive Committee considers the need for a practical and efficient mentoring program for the firm and assists it take a very professional decision on the same. Therefore, the scope of the proposal is covering both the Executive Committee and the firm as a whole, including the employees and the managerial organization.

There are estimations and assessments of various types in the proposal all of which are based on the interviews with the employees and other concerned authorities of the firm. Unless these data are taken into consideration and the proposal put into the best practice, the result of the report cannot be determined.

Sources and Methods

In the preparation of this report, the most important source has been the data from the firm itself which were mainly collected from the interviews with the personnel. The issues of the firm were identified through the use of some psychological methods during the interview with the employees. In the process, all the queries and suggestions of the individuals were made use of and a preparation of the employees for a formal mentoring program also has been worked out. It has been very encouraging to the participants as well as to the team that the strategies aimed not merely identifying and blaming the issues but more importantly encouraging the participants see the issues as they are and incorporating them in the process of problem solving. Thus, all the respect and trust of the participants have been stimulated by the methods adopted.

The report, ultimately, proposes that the committee takes necessary actions to activate the most effective mentoring system for the solution of the burning issues in the firm.

The General Mobiles: Need for Extensive Mentoring Program

The most important issues that are identified in the functioning of the firm have been the result of an efficient strategy by which the participants in the interviews and other informal conversations shared their opinions and concerns. Accordingly, there have been issues of various types which were identified, the analysis of which points to the need for a very effective mentoring program for the whole firm. Therefore, first let us deal with the issues that were identified in the process.

The important issues to be dealt with

In the process of identifying the issues that exist in the firm causing much frustration to the company as a whole, the response of the participants in the interview have been very crucial. According to the observations on various related elements, the following major issues in the firm were identified.

Although various issues are identified in the analysis, the most pertaining of them has been identified as the lack of understanding and cooperation among the employees which needs to be solved in the best effective strategy. Therefore, priority needs to be laid upon the solving of the issue.

In considering the various strategies available for the problem solving, the most effective one has been the use of executive mentors who are authorities in dealing with similar issues. Mentoring is an ongoing relationship that is developed between a senior and junior employee. Mentoring provides guidance and clear understanding of how the organization goes to achieve its vision and mission to the junior employee (Naukri hub.com, 2007).

The most important issue that has been the focus of the proposal report is the necessity of better relationship between the employees of various levels. As we understand the matter by now, only an effective mentoring program can be useful in dealing with the situation. No other reason remains why we should look for any other strategies in solving the issue when the most effective one is at hand. Therefore, the report hereby, proposes for the implementation of an effective mentoring program for the firm. The responses made by the participants about the possible strategies are as given below.

Therefore, the most effective strategy for the problem solving in the firm has been the effective mentoring.

Conclusion

In conclusion let us remark that the most important finding of the study has been that there are problems of various types in the firm all which point to the need of an effective mentoring program which can reduce the current issues in considerable amount. Therefore, The General Mobiles, with high reputation and technological and innovative ideological development, needs to take the most efficient and effective strategy in the solving of the various issues at present. These are the recommendations that the proposal aims to highlight. It is now for the Executive Committee to make the most effective strategies in solving the issues.

Reference

The managementor.com. (2003). Executive mentoring. Web.

Naukri hub.com. (2007). Mentoring. Web.

Coaches and mentors are the people who should be brought in to consult with an industry-specific expert. They allow the team to gain the necessary skills and experience that will later be integrated into the overall business environment. Collaboration with coaches is usually short-term, involving them in a specific task or exercise. In addition, they work for results  improving the performance of one area. Working with coaches is necessary to achieve quick results, and new skills will be implemented immediately. The trainers policy chooses the path and format of the sessions, which plays a significant role.

In contrast, mentors are specialists in long-term collaboration, with the staff usually acting as program leaders. The mentors goal is to lead by example and show that skills development is an opportunity for better performance. The staff learns from a plan they are comfortable with to reach a certain level. The role of the mentor is to help mentees learn how to fulfill their role more effectively. The coach and mentor, therefore, differ primarily in the duration of their collaboration, key objectives, and how to achieve results.

It is recommended to start engaging mentors by discussing the goals of the person who needs help developing their skills. The incubator director, with the consent of the incubators management team, can also help them decide whether to join the program. The third party in the organization is an opportunity for cultural and social exchange, so the self-selection of mentors is more favorable than the selection by the manager. The choice of a mentor by the organization limits the employees potential because the employee may not feel comfortable with that person and will be less able to cooperate. In self-selection, the employee may be guided by an intuitive affinity for the mentor.

Introduction

Any organization or entity should owe its success to efficient leadership and management. As such, everyone in an organization has to put in more effort towards the organizations set objectives. The managements hierarchical organization right from the top to the bottom should be dedicated to achieving a common goal. It is a matter of working at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, not all staffs are trained to fit some jobs; they need coaching or mentoring to suit the varied jobs.

This is where the axiom leading by example takes shape. It is not just about the workplace. Other institutions such as learning institutions, hospitals and correctional centres too need mentors and coaches to guide learners and victims of various circumstances to come to terms with life.

Main Text

Mentoring and coaching are terms that are often used interchangeably to mean the same thing. Nevertheless, some authors attempted to give each of the terms a distinct meaning. Brockbank (2006) differentiated mentoring and coaching by referring to mentoring as an action that involves sponsoring ones career development, whereas he referred to coaching as function of developmental activities under a managers control. On the other hand, Johnson (2007) suggested that coaching involves someone outside the workplace giving advice; while mentoring involves close supervision (for example at the workplace) in order to address specific problems.

Furthermore, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIDP) highlights that mentoring is an ongoing process that can last for a long time and usually involves a mentor that is more experienced than the mentee (CIDP, 2007). On the other hand, the CIDP describes coaching as an activity that is usually done within a set duration and involves a coach who should not necessarily be more experienced than the learner, unless the activity is specific and requires specific skills. It is therefore clear that it is impossible to distinguish clearly between the two terms, only clarification serves the purpose.

Overall, mentoring involves a relationship between more and less experience professional as elucidated above. In order enhance their staffs, managers of organizations are expected to guide and develop them.

Mentoring and coaching work hand in hand for the success of individuals or organizations. At the organization level, decision-making requires the highest level of effectiveness (CIDP, 2007). Executive coaching can bring a tremendous improvement in an organization. Perhaps the main ideas behind mentoring and coaching are, according to Turner (2005 p24), to provide socialization and training, to prepare staffs for senior management positions, improve their skills and increase their diversity.

As mentioned earlier, not all staffs are trained to suit all types of jobs in an organization, as there is always a bias towards one area. However, mentoring and coaching while at the workplace will do a great deal of diversifying the workers skills. In addition, mentoring and coaching enhance general development of individuals, which in turn is reflected in their performance at the workplace or in any other forms of association (Turner, 2005).

At the workplace, it is axiomatic that great leaders are moulded by experience, their work insight, their growth at a personal level and by mentoring (Novick, Murrow & Mays 2008 p292). Most promotions, if not all are usually based on an employees expertise and experience. These invaluable attributes are gained progressively through mentoring and coaching. It is also worth noting that employees who are frequently subjected to mentoring and sessions of coaching can do delicate tasks at the workplace (Novick et al p292).

A case of mentoring at Griffith University, Australia

Suppose a Japanese student has just joined Griffith University and is not familiar with the environment and therefore needs guidance, a local student who is familiar with the university can be his or her mentor. Among the problems likely to be facing the new student is the inability to communicate in English. Language is among the reasons that call for mentoring programs (Odiorne, 1990 p187). The first step is for the mentor to set a relationship with the new student or the mentee. In the relationship, the mentor and mentee get to know each other well in issues such as what each one is doing and their ambitions in life.

The Japanese student here has a chance to explain what he or she feels about being in Australia, his or her personal interests, and the difficulties of being in Australia. The mentor therefore knows precisely which direction to steer to during the mentoring process. The mentee usually benefits more when the mentor knows the exact areas of difficulty he or she has (Turner, 2005 p25). Furthermore, according to Lansberg (1999, p184), the perspectives of mentoring and coaching should be directed towards specific needs. At the initial stage of mentoring, the mentee is able to begin solving some problems ion his or her own, for example locating the library, knowing where the eateries are, and so on. This is after a successful orientation by the mentor.

The second stage is to make the mentee know the study and familiarise him or her even more at Griffith University. Familiarisation is the first step for the success of any mentoring program (Newburn, Shiner, Groben, & Young, 2005 pp72-73). The mentor can provide to the mentee resources that are necessary for survival on campus such as websites to locate particular departments, sections of the library or academic material. The mentee will of course be able to surmise if the options available are sufficient or not. The mentee can always communicate to the mentor in case any problem arises in the location of resources.

A critical aspect to assess mentoring and coaching is to evaluate the success and failure of both phenomena. Among the successes of mentoring and coaching are positive expectations and empowerment of the people involved (Megginson et al, 2006). The mentor will be able to evaluate the success or failure of the mentoring process during the second stage. Good planning methods and problem solving skills are usually cultivated when the process is successful.

The third stage of mentoring is to focus on the mentees full adoption into the new system. Here, the mentor and mentee discuss on the previous sessions the mentoring process. Both will find it interesting, as they have to share about their experience. The mentee has to share his or her own perception of the process and say about the benefits of the process (Brooks, 1999 p25).

Building blocks of mentoring and coaching

A practical program for mentoring is a seven-step building block as suggested by Megginson et al (2006). The steps involved are identifying the need for the process, gathering evidence to support the need, motivating or setting targets to be achieved by the process, setting a plan on how to achieve the targets, practicing the possible opportunities, observing and giving feedback , and setting support for any observed setbacks (Megginson et al). This systematic approach is ideal, as it will help one to identify areas of weakness and set the corrective measures (Turner, 2005). The GROW (Goal, Reality, Opportunity and Will) model highlighted by Turner (2005) gives a summary of the ambitions and targets.

There must be a goal to be achieved, and a reality to achieve the goal. If this is missing then it is the point to look for opportunities that will result in achievement of the target. Finally, there must be a will for the next course of action. In practice, a mentoring program will involve the mentor and mentee getting to know each other and sharing the expectations of the mentoring program (Turner, 2005 p24). After discussions and familiarization, it is time to get into business where the mentor gets to know the areas of weakness of the mentee while at the same time assessing his or her strengths. The mentee has an opportunity to learn and give feedback to the mentor on the effectiveness of the process (Turner, 2005 p25).

Formal and informal mentoring programs

An organizational has at its disposal a choice between formal and informal modes of mentoring. Under formal mentoring, a firm can hire experienced professionals to offer the mentoring services (Megginson et al, 2006). It can as well prepare its own staffs to serve each other with necessary skills. Alternatively, the firm can link training programs to mentoring. In informal mentoring, the firm is at liberty to provide skills through networking programs or recognizing and awarding experienced staffs who offer mentoring services while on the job (Megginson et al). Individuals such as university students will always use informal mentoring.

Obstacles to coaching and mentoring

Coaching and mentoring are expensive undertakings when professionals are hired to perform the tasks. Furthermore, they may prove irrelevant if the mentors or coaches are not in good terms with their subjects or mentees. Gender is one obstacle that is pronounced. Johnson (2007) noted that women are disadvantaged when it comes to mentoring. Perhaps the reason for this is that in the past the majority of mentors were men who did not have particular considerations for the opinions of the female mentees (Johnson, 2007).

Benefits of mentoring and coaching

Well conducted mentoring and coaching exercises have advantages not only to individuals but also to organizations. At the organization level, there is reduced absenteeism and increased loyalty and commitment due to change in the employees attitude. The organizational culture gets a new impression as employees at different levels mingle during mentoring. There is a lot more: the organization becomes more effective in delivering its services (Megginson et al, 2006).

Conclusion

Mentoring and coaching are pertinent to the dissemination of knowledge at various levels. The processes, when effectively done, are likely to bring positive change in individuals and hence increase the productivity of organizations. A pertinent question is whether a firm should source mentors and coaches from outside or develop their own. Individual such as university students mentor each other.

References

Brockbank A., & McGill, I. (2006). Facilitating reflective learning through mentoring & coaching. New York: Kogan Page Publishers.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIDP) (2007). Coaching and mentoring: What is the difference? Web.

Gilley J. W., Maycunich, A. & Gilley A. M. (2000). Organizational learning, performance, and change: An introduction to strategic human resource development. London: Perseus.

Goldsmith, M. & Lyons L. (2005). Coaching for leadership: The practice of leadership coaching from the worlds greatest coaches. New York: Wiley_Default.

Johnson, W. B. (2007). On being a mentor: A guide for higher education faculty. New York: Routledge.

Lansberg, I. (1999). Succeeding generations: realizing the dream of families in business. Harvard: Harvard Business Press, pp. 185-187.

Megginson, D., Clutterbuck, D., Garvey, B. , Stokes, P. & Garrett-Harris R. (2006). Mentoring in action: A practical guide for managers. New York: Kogan Page Publishers.

Novick, F., Morrow, C. B. & Mays G. P. (2008).Public health administration: Principles for population-based management. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, pp. 292-294.

Turner, J.F. (2005). Coaching and mentoring in health and social care: The essential manual for professionals and organizations. New York: Radcliffe Publishing, pp. 24-25.

Odiorne, G. S. (1990).The human side of management: Management by integration and self-control.London: Lexington Books, p187.

Newburn, T. Shiner, M. Groben, S., & Young T. (2005). Dealing with disaffection: Young people, mentoring and social inclusion. New York: Willan Publishing, pp. 72-73.

Brooks, D. B. (1999). Seven secrets of successful women: Success strategies of the women who have made it  and how you can follow their lead. New York McGraw-Hill Professional.

Introduction

The society has been fighting for the rights of a girl-child because for a long time, we have focused more on the boy-child. According to Litosseliti (page 45, 2012), although the American society has experienced many changes over the past decades, women still find themselves at a disadvantaged position when they have to compete against men. The problem is that the society is blind to the fact that women are in a disadvantaged position.

The idea that men are superior to women seems to be deeply entrenched in our cultural system that the discrimination against women is generally seen as a normal practice. Girls start facing discrimination at a very tender age when they are in the elementary schools. They get to learn that they are girls, and that as girls, they are inferior to boys. They start developing the inferiority complex at this early stage when they are before boys of the same age.

This gender discrimination is witnessed through to high schools, colleges, and finally to the job market. The situation becomes worse when the girl child comes from the minority groups such as the Blacks, Latinos, or English-as-second-language girls. These girls have to deal with the fact that they are females in a male dominated world. They also have to deal with the fact that they are of color in a world that is dominated by the Whites.

A number of opportunities pass by, but their gender and race makes it very difficult for them to take advantage of them. As Fast (page 28, 2013) says, in this twenty-first century, it is retrogressive to discriminate an individual based on gender, race, skin color, religion, or any other demographical factors. As Martin Luther King Junior once stated, we Americans should judge ourselves based on the character and ability.

We need to give every member of the society a chance to exploit the opportunities that life has to offer without basing our judgment on divisive factors that add no value to our life. It is on this background that I have been motivated to start an organization that will fight for the rights of girls, especially those from the minority groups in this country. This organization is called We Count, a true reflection of what we stand for in this society.

Mentoring Program for Girls in Southern Maryland: We Count

Girls, just like boys, have immense potential that is always unexploited because of the inferiority complex they are subjected to from a very tender age. Girls of color or those from other minority groups face even greater social injustices due to the discriminatory practices common in our society. The belief that women of color are inferior people that cannot achieve success in our society has been demystified.

Mary Eliza Church Terrell, an African American woman, earned college degree at a time when many people believed that African American women could not go through college education. In the current American society, Oprah Winfrey and Mitchell Obama are some of the most influential people in the world despite the fact that they are Blacks. Other Black Women who have made massive impacts in our society include Warris Dirie, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Angela Davis, and Condoleezza Rice among others. These are women who dared to defy culture and social systems that dictated that they should not compete with women.

According to Kaufman and Williams (page 112, 2010), the biggest challenge that we have in our modern society when empowering women of color is the mentality that has been created in them that they are inferior. When such beliefs internalize in their minds, then it becomes almost impossible to make them reason as independent minded individuals who can achieve almost anything they want in life.

The women who have been mentioned above defied the beliefs handed over to them by the society. They had the mental strength that propelled them to positions many believed they could not reach at that time. In our society today, the odds against a girl child, especially those from the minority group, are much severe compared to what used to be the case in the past. We Count believes that the modern-day girl child can be empowered through monitoring programs that will help them achieve great success in their lives. We believe that we count and must be given opportunity in this society.

We Count are committed to ensuring that the negative perception and mentality towards the girl-child is eliminated at the earliest stages of their development. At We Count, we believe that it is only women who have the key to liberate themselves. Other members of the society can only play a supportive role. These women must group up knowing that there is nothing they cannot achieve in this society.

They must be positively aggressive, and must learn how to fight alongside other members of the society. As Chin (page 91, 2010) notes, not long ago the Blacks were not allowed to vote in the American society, let alone vie for an elective position. They had to be represented by Whites who hated their presence, hence did not represent them in the legislative houses as would be appropriate. However, the current American society is now headed by an African American president. No one would have believed that this would be possible. If this has become possible, then girls of color and those who belong to other minority groups should have all the reasons to hope. They should realize that in the society today, sky remains the limit.

Analysis of Structural Inequalities and Systems of Privilege

According to Chin (page 38, 2004), women have remained inferior to men in the global society despite the efforts that have been made to change the state of affairs. In the American society, things have not been any better. The highest political office that has ever been held by a woman is Secretary of States. This is a worrying trend given that the country has powerful women like Condoleezza Rice who have made massive contributions to the growth of our economy. Chávez (page 53, 2014) says that the problem has been the existence of structural inequalities and systems of privilege that constantly favor men.

The systems in our society have deeply entrenched the idea that men are the heroes that help in the development of our country. The film industry, that has massive influence on the perception of our children towards their positions in the society, has played an active role in making our girls believe that they are inferior.

I have noticed that over 95% of these films, even those that are meant for children, portray men as the heroes who rescue the society in times of need. Boys take the character of a brave person who will go against all odds to save the society from evil forces. They withstand pain, they are physically strong, and have the obligation of not only providing for their families, but also protecting their entire society. On the other hand, women are portrayed as a weaker gender that must be protected from all forces of nature. They are easily broken, and it takes the effort of heroes to rescue them. They lack the special skills and knowledge to work their way out of problems.

Institutions such as schools and churches also play major roles in making girls belief that they do not have the privilege enjoyed by men. For instance, almost all the heroes in the bible are all men. Few women who made some contributions in saving their communities had to rely on men in order to succeed. When these young girls get to learn about these facts, they develop a feeling that they are inferior to men.

At school, the existing structures do not favor girls either. In history, the greatest people who ever lived were men. Nothing is mentioned about their wives and the role they played in the greatness of their husbands. In sciences, things get even worse. Almost all the scientists who made major contributions in the fields of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics are men. Biology goes ahead to explain that men are superior to women in terms of physical strength. All these structured systems make it difficult for the girl child to believe that they have just as much potential as boys do.

Organizational culture and dynamics facilitating the barriers

In the modern society, institutions such as schools, churches, and other places of worship have been identified as the major factors facilitating the barriers to the success of women. It is also important to identify the cultural dynamics that facilitates the barriers to success among our girls. According to Jacob (page 127, 2002), most of the African-Americans have been able to abandon most of the traditional practices of their ancestors.

However, what remains unchanged is the position of the father in a family. He is always the head, and his decisions always prevail. This cultural practice is not just common in African-American families but almost in any other American families. Girls grow up knowing that the father has the absolute power. This means that the mother has to make compromises from time to time in order to comply with the father’s demands. Girls are raised to be mothers, while our boys are raised to be fathers. No single family will want a situation where the roles are changed.

A parent will not be happy if their daughters are more successful than their sons-in-law or when they become the absolute authority in their families. It is common to hear a parent encouraging a successful daughter to look for a man who is more successful in life than she is. This is so because they believe that in that family, the daughter should play a second fiddle to their husbands. Children grow up knowing that this is how life should be.

They appreciate this culture and would make an effort to ensure that the status quo remains. Any girl who tries to go beyond the set boundaries gets names such as tomboy as a way to warn her to remember her position in the society. If they fail to do this and insist on pursuing their dreams, then they become a threat, especially to the male colleagues. They do not get as much attention as girls who learn to live within the borders defined by the society. As Gourley (page 42, 2012) says, no man would be willing to marry an independent-minded woman who can stand and say no, and demand for things to be done in her way. It means that such women will have to withstand rejection from the people who should be supporting them. Not many girls are able to withstand such rejections.

At the adolescent stage, these girls need the attention of their peers more than anything else. That explains why some girls fall off from the academic ladder at a time when they are expected to excel. On the other hand, our culture has set systems in place to cheer any boy who makes positive strides in life. If it is at school, they get attention and admiration of all. They become heroes that should be emulated by other members of the society. Back at home, girls are always assigned tasks that do not need critical thinking and much effort. As our culture dictates, our girls are expected to help in the kitchen or address other household chores.

Structure and Dynamics of the Current Dominant System and How It Operates and is Held in Place

According to Rosser (page 74, 2008), there are a number of structures in our current society that has helped in ensuring that the position of the girl child remains inferior to that of boys. One such dominant system is the religious practices. In both Christianity and Islamic teachings, children are taught to appreciate that men are the heads of family and women are only their helpers. This makes girls believe that their role in society is less important compared to that of men. As Gourley (page 64, 2012) notes, the American society has not been able to completely eliminate racism. This is another major dynamic that affects girls from minority groups.

Barriers and opportunities facing minority girls

At We Count, we are interested in identifying these barriers at different stages of development in order to formulate ways in which they can be addressed in an effective manner. This systematic analysis of the stages at which these barriers occur makes it easy to identify the stakeholders who are responsible and how the issue can be addressed by these stakeholders.

Girls in elementary and middle school

Girls at elementary and middle schools face numerous challenges that bar them from achieving the best they can in their academics and social development. At this stage, the major barriers are the movies these children watch, the stories they read, and what the people around them say. As stated before, all heroes and stars in these stories and movies are men. Girls of color face even greater challenge. Good things like angel tend to be white. However, the evil things like Satan and his angels are black. This affects the way they perceive themselves.

Girls in high school

At high schools, girls from the minority groups, especially the Blacks, face serious challenges. The statistics given by Rosser (page 88, 2008) says that Blacks make the highest percentage of girls who suffer teenage pregnancies while they are in high schools. When this happens, then their education is always brought to a sudden halt. They are also more prone to drug addictions and child labor, factors which limit their ability to continue with their education.

Girls in college

When they defy all odds and reach college, Litosseliti (page 48, 2012) says that these girls face the problem of admission. Many colleges are quick to admit Whites than Blacks. Even in the modern society, the Blacks are still associated with drug abuse in school, unruly behavior when they are high on drugs, and other criminal activities. This makes it twice more difficult for them to secure good colleges as it is to the Whites. In many cases, they are forced to settle on less competitive courses in social sciences. This makes them less competitive when they graduate from these colleges.

How the barriers may affect them when entering the job market

These barriers may have serious impacts on the female graduates when they enter the job market. They are used to compromises; hence they do not mind being pushed around at work. They are more willing to take junior positions at work because life has taught them that they cannot go for the best. Once they settle in a given company, they lose the ambition to fight through to become senior people in these organizations. As Fast (page 28, 2013) puts it, they become docile in these organizations. This is unacceptable, given that most of them have massive potential that goes untapped because of these barriers.

Organizational Intervention to Improve Relationships and Transform Oppressions

At We Count, we believe that a girl-child should be given equal opportunities as those of any other member of the society. we believe that girls also counts in the development of this country, irrespective of their skin color, religious affiliations, or other demographical factors used by the society to profile them. That is why we started this organization in Southern Maryland to help champion for the rights of girls from the minority groups.

We are not restricted to this state. We have plans to roll out this program to other states in this nation. We are exclusively focusing on girls from the minority groups. Our interest is to champion for the rights of the female members of the society with the aim of giving them the same opportunities as those enjoyed by men.

Mentoring model to address the barriers

We at We Count know that the best way of empowering girls is through mentoring them so that they can know how to defend their own rights and interests. Through my previous researches, I noted that in many cases, the African-American girls were mentored by their mothers and family friends who lead the life we are fighting against. These are jobless mothers who have resigned in life. They rely on their husbands to earn livelihoods for their families.

They do not understand what it takes to fight one way through to college and to prestigious jobs. As Chin (page 114, 2004) puts it, they have very little if not nothing to offer to these girls in terms of mentorship. They stand for all the characteristics their daughters would want to fight in life. It is on this background that I decided to recruit the individuals who have been successful in life to take part in this model of mentoring.

We had to look for doctors, lawyers, politicians, senior government administrators, chief executives of top companies, and other role models to mentor these children. Their constant interactions with these girls will be a sign that gender is not a limiting factor in their career lives. The model will include activities such as tutoring, social skills and leadership training, time management and study skills and workshops that will eventually nurture the following values and skills.

High self esteem

For a girl-child to achieve success in life and in her academics, she should have a high self-esteem. She should value herself in order to earn respect of other members of the society. She should consider herself a person with potential, and capacity to succeed in life, just like their peers of different gender or race.

High academic achievement

Academic excellence lays a strong basis for one’s success in life. Girls must be mentored to achieve academic excellence right from the lower levels, through to high school, and finally in colleges. This will assure them a successful future as they strive to be the future role models. To do this, they may need support from the mentors in terms of accessing the right materials such as books.

Critical thinking skills

According to Gourley (page 72, 2012), one of the most important areas of intellectual development for a child is the critical thinking skills. From an early age of development, these girls should be able to discern truth and make decisions even when faced with dilemmas. This should take a systematic approach. At lower stages of learning, these learners can be involved in solving puzzles that demands that they think critically before finding solutions to the puzzles. This should then move to practical experiences in life as they advance to higher levels of learning. At college level, they should have the capacity to find alternative solutions to various problems they or their organizations may face in a practical context.

Strong communication skills

Effective communication is very important in defining how an individual relates to other people at various levels. In order to integrate and influence others, one must have strong communication skills. Our mentors will help these girls to develop effective communication skills that can enable them express themselves before others. They will have to understand that the only way of making the world a better place is by talking to people and influencing their decisions and activities in various sectors. This can only be possible when one is fluent, emphatic, and convincing in her speech.

Creative expression

Rosser (page 38, 2008) says that it is difficult to believe that Adolf Hitler, one of the worst known dictators in history, took over power through a democratic election. Of course, Hitler is always a bad example of a leader who gained power through creative expression. Back at home, we have the best example in the current President Barrack Obama. Many Americans did not believe that an African American would rise to power in the country in this century. However, he did the impossible by being creative in his ways of expression. He was very creative when expressing himself. This demonstrates how the power of creativity in expression can make some of the things thought to be impossible happen with ease.

Compassion

These girls will need to learn to be compassionate in life. They will learn how to approach every task with all their effort in order to achieve the desired outcome.

Conflict resolution

In our society, conflicts arise at various levels. For these girls to be useful members of our society tomorrow, they must learn how to resolve conflicts. This will not only make them invaluable assets in their places of work, but also in the society where they live. Most companies are keen on promoting individuals who have skills in conflict resolution.

Resisting negative peer pressure

At We Count, we will make an effort to help these girls overcome negative peer pressure that may harm their future through empowerment programs.

Being well-informed about people of different races/ethnicities

As Martin Luther King Junior once said, we should not fight racism by drinking from the same cup of racial segregation (Fast, page 67, 2013). We will ensure that these girls understand that there is no fundamental difference between them and others beyond the issue of skin color.

Community involvement

These girls will be involved in various activities that will make them become active members of the society. The mentors will organize activities where these girls will be expected to participate in giving back to the society in an attempt to make them understand the society from a new perspective where they are empowered.

Aspirations for college, graduate, and professional school

At very early stages of elementary learning, the mentors will inculcate the desire among these girls to pursue further education beyond bachelor degrees.

Stress management

The ability of these girls to manage forces in life depends on their capacity to manage stress. The mentors will train the girls on how they can manage stress at different levels. This will give them emotional strength to overcome societal challenges.

Self-discipline STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) awareness

Finally, we will ensure that subjects such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math that were previously considered to be a preserve for men are accessible to these girls. Accessibility of these subjects will be based on nothing but their mentality towards them.

Building Unity across all Socio Economic and Social and Civil Rights Movements

The ultimate aim of We Count is to build unity in our society. We seek to partner with other civil rights movements to ensure that we have a society where everyone is treated as equals in all spectrum of life. Issues of gender, racial background, religious affiliation, political alignments or any other factor should never be used as a basis of segregation. Our girls should be accorded equal rights, just like boys. The minorities should not be oppressed simply because the majority must have their way. We have to live in a society where one is judged on the basis of his or her character, not gender or race.

Conclusion

The American society has made impressive steps towards addressing the issue of gender and racial discrimination that existed in the past. The economic and academic gap that existed between Blacks and Whites, and men and women has been narrowed. However, we at We Count believe that this gap should be completely eliminated. Our girls of color, just like the Whites, should be offered the best opportunities that are available to boys so that we can have uniform growth.

References

Chávez, L. (2014). The color bind: California’s battle to end affirmative action. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Chin, J. L. (2004). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination: 3. Westport. New York: Praeger Publishers.

Chin, J. L. (2010). The psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Santa Barbara: Praeger.

Fast, I. (2013). Gender identity: A differentiation model. Hillsdale: Analytic Press.

Gourley, C. (2012). Ms. and the material girls: Perceptions of women from the 1970s through the 1990s. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books.

Jacob, I. (2002). My sisters’ voices: Teenage girls of color speak out. New York: H. Holt.

Kaufman, J. P., & Williams, K. P. (2010). Women and war: Gender identity and activism in times of conflict. Sterling: Kumarian Press.

Litosseliti, L. (2012). Gender identity and discourse analysis. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

Rosser, S. V. (2008). Women, science, and myth: Gender beliefs from antiquity to the present. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.