Mentorship and sponsorship: advancing women’s careers in the hospitality industry

This research investigates the motivation for women in hospitality to participate in mentoring and sponsoring relationships through the Social Exchange Theory and the Communitarianism Theory. Utilizing a modified Delphi technique, women at the Vice President level and above, within the hospitality industry, participated in this research. The data indicated that the motivation for women in the dominant roles of mentor or sponsor aligned more with concepts in the Communitarianism Theory, while the motivation of those in protege roles fell mainly under the Social Exchange Theory. This research offers insight to managers for motivating, and encouraging these critical relationships.