Introduction

The world is continually changing. As organizations become more diverse, the need to recognize and develop talent within others becomes more critical and more complex. Herein lies the fundamental dilemma that parties to these important relationships face. Based on a recent gathering in Amherst, the contributors of this volume attempted to help each other better understand the issues that they were facing in their own diversified mentoring relationships as mentors, protégés, or both. This volume is the result of their efforts.

Structure and Focus

Organized into three sections, the book focuses on the different types of mentoring perspectives--theoretical, empirical, and experiential. It addresses the following issues:

• Developmental relationships--the emerging themes and theoretical models that discuss the experiences of various ethnic populations,
• Empirical evidence--qualitative and quantitative research that examines the impact of diverse mentoring relationships,
• First-hand accounts--experiences that recount key lessons learned in various situations, including breaking the glass ceiling, among others.