SUPER-VISION? Personal experiences of an accounting academic

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to illustrate the social aspects of supervising students’ research of accounting practice. It attempts to demonstrate that accounting practice and accounting research share a common characteristic – they are both forms of social practice. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is written as a personal reflection and confession. It follows a tradition in the social science literature of academics engaging in auto-ethnographic self-reflection. It is presented as a series of dialogues between the academic and the students. Findings – The tensions between the experienced teacher and the students raise questions about the extent of involvement of the academic in the students’ work. Each project involves social interactions which affect the nature of the supervision required and provided. Positivistic approaches may give strict guidance in the form of accepted rules and conventions, but for social scientists who recognise that research, like practice, is socially constructed, outcomes are often uncertain. Research limitations/implications – It is a personal reflection on specific research projects, and so there are no conclusions about supervision in general. Practical implications – The intent is to capture the uncertain development and outcome of research projects. The uncertainty may be typical of supervisor/student experiences. Originality/value – Though examples of auto-ethnographic self-reflection may be found in the social science literature, there are few, if any, in the accounting literature.