The role of formal mentoring on business success and self-esteem in participants of a new business start-up program

The current study investigated the relationship between career-related mentoring, psychosocial mentoring, business success, and self-esteem in participants of a program that was designed to assist in the establishment of a new business. Seventy-seven proteges and their matched mentors were included in the study. A comparison of mentor and protege perceptions revealed that mentors considered themselves to provide higher levels of psychosocial support than did the proteges. Protege perceptions of business success were predicted by the frequency of mentor contact and the level of career-related support provided by their mentor.