The purpose of this study is to examine the specific pathways through which mentorship is associated with employee goal orientation. Drawing on social learning and goal-setting theories, the study investigates the indirect effects of mentorship on employee goal orientation through person-job fit (PJF) and personorganization fit (POF), examining how mentorship relates to employees’ perceived alignment with their job duties and organizational culture.
The research model was tested using survey data collected from 211 employees. The study used partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships between mentorship, fit perceptions and goal orientation.
Results indicate that mentorship is positively associated with employee goal orientation primarily through stronger PJF, while the indirect influence of POF is not significant.
The study relies on self-report survey data from a single sample, which limits causal inference and generalizability. Future research should use longitudinal, multisource or experimental designs to verify directionality and examine whether these pathways vary across roles, industries or organizational contexts.
Organizations should design mentorship programs as intentional workplace learning interventions that build role-specific competence and clarify job expectations rather than focusing primarily on cultural assimilation. Targeting job alignment can strengthen positive employee outcomes.
When organizations prioritize PJF over cultural assimilation, mentorship becomes a more inclusive developmental tool. This shift helps eliminate barriers for newer or marginalized employees who may lack access to established informal networks.
This paper advances workplace learning scholarship by disentangling PJF and POF as indirect influences linking mentorship to goal orientation. It shows that the value of mentorship for motivating employees stems chiefly from improving job-specific alignment rather than from strengthening perceived cultural fit.
