South Korean supervisees’ experience of and response to negative supervision events

Abstract

This study used a grounded theory approach to explore South Korean supervisees’ negative supervisory experiences in order to better understand and improve the current status of supervision practice in Korea. Many findings were consistent with those of similar studies conducted in Western countries. These included instances of supervisors dismissing supervisees’ thoughts and feelings, supervisees being reluctant to bring their concerns about such behavior to the supervisor, and supervisees experiencing such consequences as reduced motivation to participate in supervision and even personal distress. In addition, this study also highlighted the important role that culture can play. For example, the hierarchical nature of relationships in Confucian-influenced societies amplifies the issues of hierarchy that are inherent in supervision. The societal norms of indirect communication created challenges for supervisors and supervisees and the importance of saving face (chemyeon) sometimes added to supervisees’ distress. The conceptual model that was developed on the basis of these interviews may help increase sensitivity to these issues and inform supervisor training.