The ambivalent dynamics of loyalty in mentorship
通过深度访谈数据，揭示师徒忠诚既包含保护与奉献，又可能压制异议、阻碍成长，引发关系中的矛盾张力。
This investigation shows that mentorship loyalty is an ambivalent source of tension in the relationship. Data from in-depth interviews show that the mentoring attachment that is rooted in a protective, devoted, affectionate side of loyalty can also compel conformity, suppress dissent, and curb professional growth. The ambivalence stirred up by loyalty issues manifests itself in the nuts and bolts of ordinary interaction. Consideration about what each party `does' for the other, what they are willing to give up or sacrifice for the other, and what each party comes to expect from the other in return evoke conflicts between strategic, emotional, and normative strivings. Ritualized expressions of loyalty — involving material and emotional work — reflect the asymmetry in the mentor—protégé authority relationship. Implications for mentoring theory and practice are discussed.