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Mentoring as affective governmentality: Shame, (un)happiness, and the (re)production of masculine leadership

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  • Jette Sandager

Abstract

This article contributes to current discussions on the effectiveness of mentoring as a gender equality tool, but also focuses on the emotions and bodily (dis)comforts mentoring produces in addition to linguistic discourses, thus offering a novel take on how the tool operates. Drawing on a case study of a Danish mentoring program aimed at establishing the organizational space of leadership as more gender equal, the article demonstrates how, in producing shame and (un)happiness, mentoring (re)produces leadership as an organizational space dominated by masculine norms and work practices. The findings of the article support literature arguing that mentoring is an ineffective gender equality tool. However, the article does not entirely discard mentoring for this purpose, instead suggesting that scholars and practitioners look to literature on queered forms of mentoring for inspiration on how to use mentoring as a tool that carries the potential of truly promoting gender equality.

Suggested Citation

  • Jette Sandager, 2021. "Mentoring as affective governmentality: Shame, (un)happiness, and the (re)production of masculine leadership," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1304-1322, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:4:p:1304-1322
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12653
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Sadhvi Dar & Yasmin Ibrahim, 2019. "The Blackened body and White governmentality: Managing the UK academy and the production of shame," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(9), pages 1241-1254, September.
    3. Dworkin, Terry Morehead & Maurer, Virginia & Schipani, Cindy A., 2012. "Career mentoring for women: New horizons/Expanded methods," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 55(4), pages 363-372.
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    6. Gherardi, Silvia & Poggio, Barbara, 2001. "Creating and recreating gender order in organizations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 245-259, October.
    7. Cayce C. Hughes & Kristen Schilt & Bridget K. Gorman & Jenifer L. Bratter, 2017. "Framing the Faculty Gender Gap: A View from STEM Doctoral Students," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 398-416, July.
    8. Christiana Hilmer & Michael Hilmer, 2007. "Women Helping Women, Men Helping Women? Same-Gender Mentoring, Initial Job Placements, and Early Career Publishing Success for Economics PhDs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(2), pages 422-426, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Singh, Anjali & Das, Seema & Jha, Sumi, 2023. "Women leadership and emotions: Knowledge structure and future research opportunities," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 864-882.
    2. Rhea Ashley Hoskin & Lilith A. Whiley, 2023. "Femme‐toring: Leveraging critical femininities and femme theory to cultivate alternative approaches to mentoring," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 1317-1333, July.
    3. Lilith A. Whiley & Ashley Wright & Sarah E. Stutterheim & Gina Grandy, 2023. "“A part of being a woman, really”: Menopause at work as “dirty” femininity," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 897-916, May.
    4. Araki, Satoshi & Olivos, Francisco, 2025. "Gender inequality, well-being, and ill-being: A macro analysis of human and societal flourishing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 366(C).

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