Effect of Mentorship on Research Productivity of Business Education Postgraduate Students in South East Nigerian Universities

This study examined the effect of mentorship on the research productivity of Business Education postgraduate students in universities in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Research productivity among postgraduate students is a critical indicator of the quality of graduate training and the vitality of academic knowledge production. Mentorship, as a structured developmental relationship between an experienced academic and a postgraduate student, has been widely associated with increased publication output, dissertation quality, and research confidence. However, empirical evidence specific to Business Education postgraduate students in South East Nigeria is sparse. Grounded in the Social Capital Theory and Bandura Self-Efficacy Theory, a correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 280 Masters and PhD Business Education students across six universities in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. The entire accessible population was used. The Mentorship Quality Scale and the Research Productivity Index (including publication frequency, conference participation, and grant application outcomes) were used as instruments. Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and t-test analysis were employed. Findings reveal a significant positive relationship between mentorship quality and research productivity, with supervisor research engagement and feedback regularity identified as the strongest predictors. Students with mentors who hold international publication records showed three times higher productivity levels. The study recommends that Business Education departments in the South East should formalize postgraduate mentorship guidelines, including minimum contact expectations and mentor selection criteria, to improve research output. Keywords: mentorship, research productivity, postgraduate students, business education, South East Nigeria