Supervisory mentoring represents a type of social dilemma called a delayed social fence. This study adopts a social dilemma perspective to examine how the three types of psychological contracts (balanced, relational, and transactional) perceived by supervisors differently influence their mentoring. Drawn on social dilemma perspective, we proposed that supervisory mentoring would be more likely to occur when supervisors perceived benefit return from their mentoring provision in a timely manner. The results obtained from a sample of 596 supervisor–subordinate matched data from the self-reported questionnaires completed by 225 sales agent teams in the insurance industry in Taiwan support our predictions. Consistent with the social dilemma perspective, supervisory mentoring is more likely among subordinates whose supervisors perceived balanced psychological contract, while supervisory mentoring is less likely among subordinates whose supervisors perceived transactional psychological contract. Furthermore, we found that supervisory mentoring is positively related to subordinate performance. Our mentor-centric multilevel framework helps identify the social dilemma nature underlying mentoring provision, and verify the positive influence of mentoring on protégé performance.

In the last years several social, economic and scientific changes have occurred, which have had a significant impact on psychiatric clinical practice, research and training. Some traditional syndromes seem to be disappeared, while new forms of mental health problems are coming to psychiatric consultation. The psychosocial distress caused by the current ongoing crisis due to the COVID-19 or the maladaptive use of the new technologies among the younger generation, are some good examples of psychosocial factors causing new mental health disturbances. Psychiatrists and mental health professionals are not yet well-equipped for managing these, which represent major unmet needs in modern clinical practice. Furthermore, in this evolving social context, the societal role of psychiatrists is completely changed, moving from being “alienist” working in asylums to “mental health care providers” working in the communities. The role of psychiatrists is to improve global mental health and to promote well-being in the general population according to a life-span perspective. Nowadays, early career psychiatrists report several unmet needs that we are not able to manage. In this symposium, I will describe my personal experience of moving from my role of mentee to mentor.

Mentoring is becoming increasingly recognised as a tool for supporting the junior workforce and for helping trainees to achieve their full potential. In this article we explore the benefits and barriers to mentoring in psychiatry from a trainee's perspective, and highlight differences between the role of a mentor and clinical and educational supervisor.

Reintroduction to, or reinforcement of, threatened wild populations are commonly used conservation strategies. Reintroductions of the Southern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri have been tested as a potential conservation tool for this vulnerable species since 1995. Forty-two individuals have been reintroduced under varying management strategies. We analysed the outcomes of these attempts to assess which factors contributed most to success or failure. The species exhibits complex social learning and hierarchy, and is long-lived, with delayed sexual maturity. Immediate survival was significantly affected by the season in which the release was done and by the quality of the released birds. The best-quality release birds were reared with wild behavioural characteristics and were well-socialised to captive conspecifics prior to being placed into managed groups (‘bush schools’), where social learning was led by an experienced, wild alpha male. Once reintroduced birds had survived their first year after release, continued wild experience and wild mentorship significantly affected their survival. Since sample sizes limited the rigour of some statistical analyses, other factors were considered that may also determine success. These quasi-experimental reintroductions revealed novel threats to the species, such as the importance of a nest to group cohesion, that harvested second-hatched chicks provide viable release birds, which essentially doubles wild productivity, and that reintroductions generate valuable civil society awareness of the plight of the species.

As mentor teachers hold the balance of power in the relationship, how do they build and sustain positive mentor-mentee relationships? This study involved 11 pairs of mentors and mentees (n = 22) with audio-recorded interviews to explore their relationships, mentors’ support and mentors’ expectations for mentees’ involvement in the school. Findings suggested ways to build and sustain mentoring relationships (e.g., professionalism, respect, and support). Indeed, support in providing information for planning, access to resources, two-way dialoguing with feedback and reflections, and establishing safe, risk-taking environments to trial and evaluate newly learnt teaching practices were considered as ways to build and sustain relationships.