Big five personality, interaction and mentoring effectiveness in higher education: a case study of a private university in Malaysia

Fong, Kah Hoong (2026) Big five personality, interaction and mentoring effectiveness in higher education: a case study of a private university in Malaysia. Master dissertation/thesis, UTAR.

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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of an individual's personality on mentorship effectiveness in the presence of interaction. Although mentorship is widely recognized as vital in higher education, there remains a lack of understanding regarding how the individual personality traits of mentees impact mentorship effectiveness, especially in Malaysian private universities where such programmes are increasingly promoted. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a quantitative approach to analyse the effect of an individual's personality, based on the Big Five Personality Model, on mentorship effectiveness using the Mentorship Effectiveness Scale. Data were collected from undergraduate students at a private university in Malaysia and analysed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. Findings – The results of this study revealed a significant positive correlation between Agreeableness and Extraversion and Mentorship Effectiveness. At the same time, Interaction showed a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between Agreeableness and Mentorship Effectiveness. Research limitations/implications – This study focuses on which of the mentee's personality traits have a significant impact on mentorship effectiveness. Thus, the findings do not allow institutions to identify the best match between mentors and mentees through the matching of their personalities. Practical implications – The findings from this study provide a valid and reliable framework and tools for institutions and researchers to measure an individual's personality and its effect on mentorship effectiveness in the presence of interaction. Originality/value – This study contributes theoretical and practical insights by introducing a framework to evaluate the relationship between mentee personality, mentorship effectiveness, and interaction among mentors and mentees.

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