The Wiley International Handbook of Mentoring

27Mentoring Policies: Possibilities, Challenges, and Future Directions

Göran Fransson

Faculty of Education and Business Studies, University of Gävle, Sweden

Although many mentoring programs are mandated and initiated as part of a policy direction or mandate, and policy is an important element in the development, implementation, and evaluation of mentoring, investigations into the impact of policy upon mentoring initiatives and outcomes has not been explicitly highlighted in the mentoring research (Fransson & McMahan, 2013). Although the literature on policies and mentoring programs and practices is scarce, there is evidence to suggest that policies impact mentoring endeavors in a variety of ways and can have both positive and negative effects (Carver & Feiman‐Nemser, 2009; Polikoff, Desimone, & Hochberg, 2015). Yet, policy development and implementation can have an extensive impact on mentoring programs and relationships. As these programs continue to grow, it is imperative that the field becomes more cognizant of the role and impact of policies upon the personal, professional, and organizational aspects of mentoring. Against this background, expanding our understanding of how policy is designed, implemented, and influences mentoring program development, practice, and success is important.

The purpose of the chapter is to outline, discuss, and problematize policy issues related to mentoring and to offer recommendations for future action. Most of the examples on policy issues ...