Construct equivalence across groups: An unexplored issue in mentoring research

Ensuring construct comparability is a prerequisite for testing cross-group differences, yet this assumption is rarely tested in mentoring research. More studies testing for factorial invariance are needed for the construct validation of mentoring. Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were used to investigate the factorial stability of the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire (MFQ-9) across two groups: proteges who are satisfied with their mentor and those who are not. CFA results supported a three-factor structure for the MFQ-9 composed of the dimensions of vocational support, psychosocial support, and role modeling. However, tests of invariance demonstrated nonequivalence for five item-pair measurements. Overall, the MFQ-9 demonstrated excellent psychometric properties with unsatisfied proteges; however, the instrument may need further development for use with satisfied proteges.