Relational Mentoring as A Space for Crafting Asset-based Identity: A Trioethnography of International Asian Women Scholars in HRD

Abstract: This trioethnographical study explores the influence of relational mentoring in developing the identities of three international Asian women scholars from different career stages within the field of human resource development (HRD) in the United States. By capturing their voices through personal narratives drawn from their day-to-day lived experiences, the study documents their transformative journey from “being” to “becoming.” Through a collaborative, qualitative analysis of mentoring transcripts and daily journals, the findings illustrate how relational mentoring could be used as a backdrop to critically examine our deficit-based mindset. This is achieved by dismantling hierarchy, challenging structural inequities, and questioning presumed incompetence. Constructive dialogues within this framework enabled the crafting of an asset-based identity where we embraced the roles of supporters, decenters, and connectors.