Reverse mentoring, career competencies and their relationship with innovative work behavior and turnover intention

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether reverse mentoring as a professional tool enhances career competencies of employees, leading to higher levels of innovative work behavior and reduced turnover intention of employees. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the proposed model using a multi-wave data collection method from a sample of 419 Indian software professionals. The proposed model was examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings The findings suggest that reverse mentoring exerts a significant influence in enhancing career competencies of the employees, leading to enhanced innovative work behavior and reduced turnover intention. Practical implications The findings indicate that strategically employing reverse mentoring as a cost-effective method enables managers to improve employees' career competencies, promote innovation, and decrease the likelihood of employee turnover intention. Originality/value This study constitutes one of the earliest empirical examinations of reverse mentoring as a professional tool to increase employees' career competencies, which subsequently boosts their innovative work behavior and lowers their intentions to leave the organization.