| The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of how mentoring was experienced and perceived by Black senior Army officers. Social identity, interaction, and leadership-member exchange theories served as the theoretical framework for this research. The lived experiences of 12 senior ranking Black Army officers assigned to military installations in the United States' were explored. The modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen analysis method was used to explore the phenomenon of how Black Army senior officers perceived their mentoring experiences as a protege contributed to their promotion potential. Four themes emerged: (a) a majority of the participants started to have traditional mentors, who they consider as having the greatest effect on promotion, in approximately the sixth through eighth year of their officer career; (b) the mentor's race affects career enhancement or assistance in achieving desired end-state; (c) a majority of the participants identified with mentors of the same race early in their career; and (d) many of the participants expressed feeling isolated and on their own early in their career. The results of this study may help Army leaders develop a more effective leadership development and mentoring model, which would facilitate the acquisition of the necessary knowledge to know and address the needs of Black officers throughout their career and may lead to closing the gap of promotion inequality. |
