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International business mentoring for development: the importance of local context and culture
Author(s) -
Purcell Gisela,
Scheyvens Regina
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of training and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.558
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1468-2419
pISSN - 1360-3736
DOI - 10.1111/ijtd.12057
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , public relations , sociology , business development , organizational culture , value (mathematics) , psychological resilience , business , political science , psychology , business administration , social psychology , geography , archaeology , computer science , machine learning
This research investigates the value of donor‐funded, cross‐cultural business mentoring in a development context. Following a review of the existing literature on cross‐cultural mentoring, it examines the effectiveness of the P acific B usiness M entoring P rogramme in S amoa through interviews with 23 entrepreneurs and a survey of the N ew Z ealand mentors. Research findings show that mentoring can provide both business and socio‐cultural development outcomes. However, the majority of entrepreneurs believe that their mentor did not have a good understanding of the local cultural context. Some cultural practices appear to be detrimental to running a business, but they add to the resilience of local people and should therefore not be undermined. This research indicates that donor‐funded business mentoring can be an effective tool for development assistance if mentors are sensitive to the local cultural context.