How supervisors' academic capital influences business graduate students’ perceived supervisor support and creativity: Evidence from the tutorial system in China

Abstract

This research uses a mixed-method approach to investigate the role of academic capital in explaining supervisors' influence on business graduate students' creativity under the tutorial system in China. The first study used data from interviews with 32 Chinese business graduate students and determined the construction of academic capital based on supervisors' academic reputation and social resources. It identified two factors affecting the transfer of capital: supervisors' information and communication technology (ICT)-integrated competence and supervisors' personal charisma. The second study explored the relationships among academic capital, perceived supervisor support, and creativity and the moderating roles of ICT-integrated competence and personal charisma. Responses to questionnaires by 888 business graduate students showed that, first, academic capital can promote perceived supervisor support, leading to students’ creativity. Second, the responses showed that academic capital more positively influences perceived supervisor support when the supervisor has high ICT-integrated competence and personal charisma.