The influence of gender composition on supervisory mentoring and career commitment in India

Purpose Drawing on the similarity-attraction paradigm, the authors analyzed the moderating role of gender composition on supervisory mentoring functions and career commitment dimensions in the context of Indian organizations. Design/methodology/approach The authors deployed a cross-sectional research design surveying employees from public and private sector organizations in North India and used multiple hierarchical regression for conducting analyses. Findings Study results indicate that the joint effects of gender composition and supervisory career mentoring functions act as significant predictors of career identity and career planning in the Indian context. Supervisory psychosocial and career mentoring functions were also found to be significant predictors of career identity and career planning. Originality/value This is one of the few studies providing empirical evidence of the influence of gender composition on the linkage between supervisory mentoring and career commitment dimensions in India. In addition, the study advances the similarity-attraction theoretical paradigm by highlighting the role of gender similarity in strengthening facilitation of supervisory career mentoring for enhancing employees’ career commitment among Indian managers.