Mentorship of Academics in Higher Education Institutions: A Scoping Review and Future Research Agenda

This paper aims to suggest a normative mentorship model that can contribute to the efficiency of academics at higher learning institutions. Furthermore, the article is focused on promoting a follow-up normative mentorship model based on primary data to be collected at the Namibia University of Science and Technology in Windhoek, Namibia. The research employed a scoping review using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews, a meta-analysis (Prisma) flow chart for the literature studied for this article, and qualitative content analysis to achieve the research objective. This objective included examining the benefits of mentoring strategies for mentors and mentees and exploring the challenges of mentoring strategy. The study’s findings revealed that mentorship practices generally contribute significantly to academics’ research productivity, enhancing their workload efficiency and giving them a crucial role in the development of graduate students and faculty members. The paper also details how mentorship strategies are challenged by both the dynamic process of a mentorship process and balancing the mentors’ capabilities with their responsibilities. The paper concludes that the mentorship of academics produces many favorable work outcomes, such as academic adjustment to organizational culture, career development and advancement, promotion, job satisfaction and constructive participation in the organization. Based on the findings, the study recommended that serious consideration and implementation of a formal mentoring strategy is required when institutions of higher learning mentorship strategies or frameworks are not formally recognized or implemented. Moreover, performance indicators should be clearly stated to ensure that the mission and vision of the institution are accomplished and that a conducive learning environment should be embraced. In conclusion, before the normative mentorship model can be implemented, all the various stakeholders in the academic ecosystem can buy into ensuring effective implementation and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the sustainable mentorship model for the benefit of most stakeholders, the students.