Supervisor Interaction Research Articles

Sensemaking of Subordinates’ Perception Through Supervisor Interactions and Its Role in Informing HRM Practices: A South Asian Perspective

The dyadic relationship between subordinate-supervisor garners significant focus within organizational studies and human resource management (HRM), being deemed a perpetual source of the organization’s most direct experiences. Nonetheless, these interactions are transient, as the dyadic and complex nature of their relationship transcends simple exchanges at workplace. The study provides an in-depth analysis of sensemaking in the context of modern-day organizations, particularly focusing on South Asian workplaces. Sensemaking is a cognitive process that individuals undergo when they encounter changes in their work environment, seeking clarity and formulating appropriate responses. The paper examines sensemaking’s influential role in shaping HRM practices. The authors adopted a deductive thematic analysis method to analyze 30 nominated texts using the MAXQDA content analysis tool. The authors propose a conceptual model based on five key themes derived from sensemaking: perception of supervisory behavior, perception of work relationship aspects, perception of workplace culture, opportunities-challenges in HRM practice, and outcomes of subordinate perception informing HRM practice. The study concludes that sensemaking is deeply embedded in the institutional, cultural, and organizational fabric of South Asian workplaces, and it significantly influences HRM practices.

Unlocking Pathways to Employment: Exploring the Interplay of Internship Hours, Supervisor Interaction, and Faculty Guidance in Sport Management Students’ Career Journey

Unlocking Pathways to Employment: Exploring the Interplay of Internship Hours, Supervisor Interaction, and Faculty Guidance in Sport Management Students’ Career Journey

Supervisor incivility, ruminations and insubordination: catalytic effects of supervisor task conflict

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between employees' exposure to supervisor incivility and their engagement in insubordinate behavior, by detailing a mediating role of ruminations about interpersonal offenses and a moderating role of supervisor task conflict.Design/methodology/approachThe research hypotheses were assessed with three rounds of data, obtained from employees and their peers, working for firms in various industries.FindingsAn important reason that employees' sense that their supervisor treats them disrespectfully escalates into defiance of supervisor authority is that the employees cannot stop thinking about how they have been wronged. The mediating role of such ruminations is particularly prominent when employees' viewpoints clash with those of their supervisor.Practical implicationsA critical danger exists for employees who are annoyed with a rude supervisor: They ponder their negative treatment, which prompts them to disobey, a response that likely diminishes the chances that supervisors might change their behaviors. This detrimental process is particularly salient when employee–supervisor interactions are marked by unpleasant task-related fights.Originality/valueThis study unpacks an unexplored link between supervisor incivility and supervisor-directed insubordination by explicating the pertinent roles of two critical factors (rumination and task conflict) in this link.

Sealing the gaps: enhancing quality control in business school dissertations

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify and address significant quality gaps present in business school dissertations in India. Dissertations, an integral and a special component of the overall business school learning process, acquaint students with the practical business world.Design/methodology/approachThe authors benchmarked the dissertation processes of business schools in India against those of reputed business schools in Germany, France, Sweden and Australia. Using a survey questionnaire, the authors checked whether business schools in India followed international processes and, if not, what could be done to adopt such processes. A sample of 367 business schools was studied to obtain reasonable evidence.FindingsThere were major quality issues in the dissertation process across business schools in India. Serious groundwork preparation issues were identified, such as an absence of research proposals. Most business schools also reported that there were no rubrics for dissertation evaluation, resulting in high subjectivity in the evaluation process. Supervisor interactions and control over the progress of the dissertation were also found to be very weak. As a result, the authors conclude that dissertations from business schools in India have major gaps in quality.Originality/valueThis is a novel study that examines the quality assurance of business school dissertations. It highlights major quality concerns surrounding the business school dissertation process and suggests measures to address quality issues. The study’s implications apply to business schools in all developing countries and not just India.

Abusive Supervision and Work-Home Consequences: An Experience Sampling Study

The impact of abusive supervision on subordinates is devastating, but research on the mechanisms and mitigating factors in this relationship remains scarce. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we argue that the depletion of energy and the subsequent reduced work absorption caused by abusive supervision are contingent upon the frequency of interactions with the supervisor and the preferences of subordinates for keeping work and private life domains apart. We applied an experience sampling methodology and surveyed 132 employees in Germany twice per day over 14 workdays. Our results show that more frequent interactions with their leaders prevent employees from suffering in their work absorption through prework energy the following day despite leader abuse. Moreover, we found that these supervisor interactions are particularly important for subordinates who hold stronger preferences for separating their work and private life domains. With these findings, we contribute to an understanding of the conditions under which the consequences of supervisor abuse on subordinates may be alleviated.

The interplay between social interaction quality and wellbeing in military personnel during their initial two-years of service

ABSTRACT This research examined the nature of social interaction profiles in the initial two-years of military service, profile association to early vulnerability to psychological distress, and the association between supervisor interaction qualities in the likelihood of profile membership. Data were collected as part of a larger longitudinal study. Participants who completed key variables at either 3–12 months post-enlistment (N = 5,233; 85.6% male) or 15–24 months post-enlistment (N = 2,162; 79.2% male) were included in the cross-sectional profile analysis of social interaction quality from military and nonmilitary sources. Cross-sectional latent profile analyses and transition analysis were used to investigate the social interaction profiles at each time-point, the effect of leader interactions on movement between profiles, and related psychological distress outcomes. Social interaction quality, and in particular colleague interactions, was predictably associated with psychological distress. Leadership interactions were associated with the nature of colleague social interactions. Greater positive social interactions with leadership was related to a reduced likelihood of experiencing less frequent negative interactions with colleagues. The findings implicate a possible role for supervisors in perpetuating positive or negative colleague interactions. Moreover, a trajectory of vulnerability to psychological distress may start in the initial two-years of military service and emerge from the psychosocial context.

General practice registrars’ clinical uncertainty, and in-consultation information- and assistance-seeking

Purpose: To explore the association of Australian general practitioner (GP) registrars’ responses to uncertainty with their in-consultation information-, advice- and assistance-seeking.Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional analysis of data from the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) cohort study in four Australian states. In ReCEnT, GP registrars record details of 60 consecutive consultations, six-monthly, three times during training.Outcome factors in logistic regression models included whether the registrar sought in-consultation information or assistance from (i) their supervisor or (ii) an electronic or paper-based source. Independent variables were the four independent subscales of the Physicians’ Reaction to Uncertainty (PRU) instrument, as well as registrar, practice and consultation variables.Findings: 589 registrars contributed details of 70,412 consultations.On multivariable analysis, scores on the two ‘affective’ PRU subscales ‘anxiety regarding diagnosis/management’ (OR 1.03; 95% confidence intervals [CIs] [1.01, 1.05], p = 0.003) and ‘concern about a bad outcome’ (OR 1.03; 95% CIs [1.01, 1.06], p = 0.008) were significantly associated with seeking supervisor assistance. There was no association with ‘behavioural’ subscales ‘reluctance to disclose uncertainty to patients’ and ‘reluctance to disclose mistakes to physicians’.None of the PRU subscales were significantly associated with information-seeking from electronic or hard copy sources.Research implications: Further research is required to explore the role of uncertainty within registrar–supervisor interactions and to define the role of supervisors in registrars’ functional adaptation to clinical uncertainty (including how best to support and train supervisors in this role).Practical implications: GP registrars’ ‘affective’ responses to clinical uncertainty are associated with assistance-seeking from clinical supervisors. While in-consultation assistance-seeking may promote registrars’ tolerance of uncertainty, it may also contribute to supervisor workload.Originality/value: This is the first study to examine trainees’ levels of uncertainty and their seeking of information and assistance.Limitations: We have not investigated whether registrars’ seeking assistance resolved or attenuated, for the index problem, their anxiety or concern.

Using the Work Behaviour Inventory and Work Environment Impact Scale to measure employment sustainability for people with severe mental illness in a vocational rehabilitation program.

People with severe mental illness often have difficulty sustaining employment. Work Behaviour Inventory and Work Environment Impact Scale are vocational assessments used by occupational therapists to evaluate the facilitators and barriers of work performance and work environment respectively. These factors may have an impact on job tenure and can inform occupational therapy practice. This study analysed retrospective data of 85 clients who attended a 3-month Employment Internship Program from August 2016 to August 2017. Scores from Work Behaviour Inventory and Work Environment Impact Scale were analysed for associations with job tenure. Repeated measures were used to determine significant changes in Work Behaviour Inventory composite scores across the 3months. One-month Work Behaviour Inventory composite scores, three Work Behaviour Inventory domains (cooperativeness, work habits, work quality), and three Work Environment Impact Scale domains (time demands, supervisor interaction, architecture) were significantly associated with job tenure. Significant differences in mean job tenure were also found between participants of different internship status. However, these factors did not predict job tenure in regression analysis. There were significant improvements in Work behaviour Inventory composite scores from the first to third month. Work behaviours such as cooperativeness, work habits, and work quality as well as work characteristics such as time demands, supervisor interaction, and workplace architecture may play a role in influencing job tenure. Occupational therapists may consider such factors and provide more targeted interventions to effectively sustain employment.

Research supervision in distance learning: issues and challenges

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore and highlight the issues and challenges teachers face while supervising thesis and projects in distance/online learning mode.Design/methodology/approachThis is a cross-sectional qualitative study. Grounded theory approach using Gioia methodology has been applied. Semi-structured interviews of 16 research supervisors have been conducted to explore the issues and challenges faced by the supervisors in guiding research students. Purposive sampling is used to select the subjects for data collection.FindingsResults of the study reveal that the time constraints, official restrictions, irregular contacts and technology are the main issues faced by supervisors. Whereas student–supervisor interaction, diversity, perceptions, virtual communities and academic collaboration are the biggest challenges for the supervisors in distance learning. Lastly, it is found that students' attitude and supervisors' mindset are the key success factors in distance research supervision.Practical implicationsFindings of this paper will help institutions particularly in Asia, to strategically review their research programs to make these programs more effective. Effectiveness will encompass two things, timely completion and novel research. If these two things are addressed efficiently, comparison of distance learning with conventional learning will be more favorable for distance learning.Originality/valueThis study will be helpful for the top management of distance/online learning institutes to better equip their teachers and students to complete their research endeavors accordingly. This is an empirical research based on primary data collected from the research supervisors currently supervising thesis/projects at Virtual University of Pakistan.

Supervisor‐Directed Emotional Labor as Upward Influence: An Emotions‐as‐Social‐Information Perspective

SummaryTo access organizational resources, subordinates often strive to influence supervisors' impressions. Moreover, subordinates' interactions with supervisors are known to be ripe with emotions. Nevertheless, research on upward impression management has rarely examined how subordinates' emotion regulation in supervisor interactions may shape their tangible outcomes. The present study introduces subordinates' emotional labor toward supervisors as a novel means of upward influence. Building on the emotions‐as‐social‐information model, we propose that supervisor‐directed emotional labor indirectly relates with supervisory reward recommendations by shaping supervisors' liking and perceived competence of subordinates. Moreover, we cast supervisors' epistemic motivation as a boundary condition for these indirect relations. We tested these notions using time‐lagged data from 377 subordinates and 91 supervisors. When supervisors' epistemic motivation was higher (but not lower), (1) supervisor‐directed surface acting related negatively with supervisors' liking and perceived competence of subordinates and (2) supervisor‐directed deep acting related positively with supervisors' liking of subordinates. Liking and perceived competence, in turn, related positively with supervisors' willingness to recommend subordinates for organizational rewards. These findings highlight supervisor‐directed emotional labor as an upward impression management strategy with both beneficial (deep acting) and detrimental (surface acting) implications, and they illustrate important mechanisms and a key contingency factor for these consequences.

Student-supervisor interaction problems in joint research activity

Growing interest in improving the quality of student’s research activity in higher education has led to an emphasis on student-supervisor interaction in joint research activity. The study presented here was carried out in Tyumen State University, Tyumen, Russia. The participants were 30 supervisors and 60 students from the Pedagogical Institute. The study defined student and supervisor interaction problems and characterized the ways of student-supervisor interaction that reduce student’s motivation for a creative approach to writing research work when student’s research work is perceived as (1) supervisor’s burden, (2) a source of supervisor’s innovative ideas, (3) a source of additional information or (4) a source of primary information processing for supervisor’s scientific work. Implications are given to prevent ineffective ways of student-supervisor interaction and improve the quality of student’s research training in multi-level university education.

Exploring intrinsic triggers for functional facial electrostimulation based on intramuscular electromyography recordings.

Based on univariate intramuscular electromyography (EMG) recordings of facial muscles of patients suffering from chronic idiopathic facial palsy we propose a data-driven feature selection process for the discrimination of different mimic maneuvers. Following fundamental ideas of automatic EMG decompositions based on templates defined by motor unit action potentials, the proposed approach relies on a multiple template matching. Yet, the novel methodology utilizes templates derived from the intramuscular EMG signal itself without any supervisor interaction or a priori information by identifying abundant short signal sections (motifs). Focusing on motifs as individual, characteristical graphoelements of an EMG recording implies a high level of flexibility. In connection with facial palsy such a flexibility is necessary, since unique individual, also pathological, EMG patterns can be expected due to the high spatial variability of intramuscular recordings combined with random patterns of aberrant reinnervation. The proposed methodology is applied to EMG data of frontalis, zygomaticus, and orbicularis oculi muscle without patient- or muscle-specific adaptations.

P099: Perceptions of assessment and feedback: hawks, doves and impact on learning

Introduction: Residency training takes place in a work-place learning environment. Residents may work with several supervisors over the course of their training and each will provide feedback and assessments to them. Each supervisor may have a different approach to the delivery of their feedback and may deliver different assessments for the same quality of performance. Research question: among residents who receive regular feedback how do different styles of feedback by supervisors impact the residents’ learning? Methods: A qualitative methodology was used. Participants were residents from residency programs that have routine one-on-one feedback and assessment. In depth, semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted by the primary investigator (PI). These were then transcribed, reviewed and coded. The participants were University of Toronto and McMaster University residents. Sample size will be determined by thematic saturation and data collection is ongoing. The interview guide was updated in an iterative fashion to further explore themes generated in the initial interviews. Interview transcripts will be reviewed and coded by the PI with assistance from collaborators with qualitative methodological expertise. Results: Analysis of the first six participants revealed five themes. Residents described remembering feedback that generated a strong emotional response, both positive and negative; reflection on feedback as a component of using it for learning was consistent; issues with reconciling feedback received that was in conflict with previously feedback; relationship with the individual providing the feedback impacted feedback interpretation; feedback was parsed by residents to determine the rationale of the assessor and whether to incorporate feedback into learning process. Conclusion: How residents use feedback to further their learning is variable. This study identifies that styles of feedback, emotional response and relationship with the provider are all contributors to the learning that occurs after a feedback encounter. It also identifies that residents reflect on feedback differently and make decisions about how to incorporate feedback into their learning and practice. The individuality of these responses to feedback are important for trainee self-reflection in furthering their learning as well as important in faculty development as they develop skills in assessment and feedback. It is also important for training programs that facilitate the trainee supervisor interactions.

The Struggle Is Real: How Residents Learn to Provide High-Value, Cost-Conscious Care

Phenomenon: Rising healthcare expenditures threaten the accessibility and affordability of healthcare systems. Research has demonstrated that teaching (junior) physicians to deliver high-value, cost-conscious care can be effective when learning is situated in a supportive environment. This study aims to offer insight into how residents learn to provide high-value, cost-conscious care in the workplace and how the postgraduate training environment influences this learning. Approach: Six homogeneous focus groups were held between August 2015 and July 2016 with 36 residents from six residency programs (dermatology, n = 5; elderly care, n = 8; family medicine, n = 5; internal medicine, n = 6; orthopedic surgery, n = 6; surgery, n = 6). An iterative grounded theory approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Findings: Influential factors in learning of high-value, cost-conscious care delivery operated on three levels: individual resident, training program, and the workplace. On the individual level, we discerned three types of beliefs regarding HV3C. At the training program level, perceived determinants of learning included resident–supervisor interactions, involvement in decision-making over time, and exposure to variation in care delivery. At the workplace level, learning depended on the availability of professional healthcare expertise and the presence of institutional policy. Insights: Residents struggle to seize high-value, cost-conscious care learning opportunities in the workplace setting. Both residency training programs and workplaces can contribute to creating these learning opportunities. An important starting point is being aware of the different personal beliefs of residents and the approaches to high-value, cost-conscious care on the level of the training program and workplace.

Entrustment Checkpoint: Clinical Supervisors’ Perceptions of the Emergency Department Oral Case Presentation

Phenomenon: The oral case presentation represents a unique method of communication and forms the foundation for trainee–supervisor interactions in the clinical setting. Recently, entrustment has been highlighted as an essential element of trainee–supervisor interactions. Despite the growing body of knowledge concerning entrustment in medical education, how supervisors conceptualize the oral case presentation as a contributor to entrustment decision making during clinical supervision remains unknown. Given their widespread use, oral case presentations may represent a potential tool for future frameworks of workplace-based assessment. This study sought to explore what factors influence supervisors’ expectations of oral case presentation content and how the oral case presentation may contribute to entrustment decision making. Approach: Using qualitative methodology, semistructured interviews were conducted from a purposive sample of attending emergency medicine physicians at an academic medical center from 2015 to 2016. Thematic analysis of the semistructured interview transcripts was conducted by 2 investigators using line-by-line coding and constant comparative analysis. Key themes were identified through consensus. Theoretical sampling occurred until thematic saturation was reached. Findings: Twenty-one attending physicians were interviewed. Four factors were found to influence supervisor expectations pertaining to oral case presentation content (trainee level, trainee familiarity, clinical context, and clinical task). Further, the oral case presentation was found to serve as a means of indirect observation and an entrustment check point informing future decisions relating to trainee supervision. Insights: The oral case presentation represents a core activity within the trainee–supervisor relationship in which entrustment plays a central role. Given the numerous factors influencing oral case presentation content, we caution supervisors against relying solely on the oral case presentation as an entrustment check point, as this may lead to inaccurate judgments of trainee competence. We recommend that the oral case presentation be used in conjunction with other means of direct and indirect observation to assist with entrustment decisions relating to trainee supervision.

The learning environment of paediatric interns in South Africa

BackgroundSouth African (SA) paediatric interns (recently qualified medical graduates) work in a high disease burdened and resource deficient environment for two years, prior to independent practice. Perceptions of this learning environment (LE) influences their approaches to training as well as the outcomes of this period of development. Obstacles to creating a supportive LE and supervisor interaction affects the quality of this training. Measuring perceptions of the LE with validated instruments can help inform improvements in learning during this crucial period of medical education.MethodsThe aims of this study was to determine the psychometric qualities of the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) amongst paediatric interns across four hospital complexes in South Africa and to measure the LE as perceived by both interns and their supervisors. Construct validity was tested using factor analysis and internal consistency was measured with Cronbach’s alpha.ResultsA total of 209 interns and 60 supervisors (69% intern response rate) responded to the questionnaire. The PHEEM was found to be very reliable with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.943 and 0.874 for intern and supervisors respectively. Factor analysis using a 3-factor solution accounted for 42% of the variance with the teaching subscale having the best fit compared with the other sub-scales of the original tool. Most interns perceived the learning environment as being more positive than negative however, their perceptions differed significantly from that of their supervisors. Poor infrastructural support from institutions, excessive workloads and inadequate supervision were factors preventing optimal training of paediatric interns.ConclusionsThe SA version of the PHEEM tool used was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for use in interns amongst high disease burdened contexts. Various obstacles to creating an ideal learning environment for paediatric interns were identified to be in need of urgent review. Key differences in perceptions of an ideal learning environment between interns and their supervisors need to be fully explored as these may result in sub-optimal supervision and mentoring.

"I Can Never Be Too Comfortable": Race, Gender, and Emotion at the Hospital Bedside.

In this article, we examine how race and gender shape nurses’ emotion practice. Based on audio diaries collected from 48 nurses within two Midwestern hospital systems in the United States, we illustrate the disproportionate emotional labor that emerges among women nurses of color in the white institutional space of American health care. In this environment, women of color experience an emotional double shift as a result of negotiating patient, coworker, and supervisor interactions. In confronting racist encounters, nurses of color in our sample experience additional job-related stress, must perform disproportionate amounts of emotional labor, and experience depleted emotional resources that negatively influence patient care. Methodologically, the study extends prior research by using audio diaries collected from a racially diverse sample to capture emotion as a situationally emergent and complex feature of nursing practice. We also extend research on nursing by tracing both the sources and consequences of unequal emotion practices for nurse well-being and patient care.

Exploring Student and Supervisor Interaction During the SciPro Thesis Process

Common problems identified by students during their interaction with supervisors are too little instructions as well as infrequent and insufficient supervisor feedback. The SciPro system has been developed to tackle these problems. This paper describes, analyze and discuss the interaction between students and supervisors using the SciPro system. Through two use cases involving two supervisors and 38 bachelor and master students, the authors show that the structure implemented in SciPro supports and allows for different pedagogical approaches and supervision styles. Ten different types of interactions in the thesis process are identified. In order to explain why some students do not complete within the timeframe, the authors identify six categories of problems: 1) language skills, 2) inability to apply research methods, 3) ability for self-study, 4) lack of creativity, 5) limited knowledge about how to write academic work, and 6) lack of motivation. The collaborative stage of group-supervision may be one possible way to deal with the different type of support for the process of managing student theses.

Two Approaches for Increasing Student Learning and Professional Development

In this article, we explore two teaching methods as well as the field placement process in human services programs. First, we examine synchronous and asynchronous instruction to accommodate three learning styles: auditory, visual, or tactile. Second, we explore the field placement process in terms of student preparation, site selection, proper form completion, agency approval and clearance, monitoring student progress, and field supervisor and student interaction. Third, we provide theoretical examples that demonstrate the use of teaching methods and the field placement process to enhance the student learning experience and professional development. Further, we discuss the responsibility to the profession and Saint Leo University’s values of excellence, respect, and personal development. Instructors who employ these approaches increase opportunities for student growth, learning, and professional development.

Clinical supervision and learning opportunities during simulated acute care scenarios.

Closer clinical supervision has been increasingly promoted to improve patient care. However, the continuous bedside presence of supervisors may threaten the model of progressive independence traditionally associated with effective clinical training. Studies have shown favourable effects of closer supervision on trainees' learning, but have not paid specific attention to the learning processes involved. We conducted a simulation-based study to explore the learning opportunities created during simulated resuscitation scenarios under different levels of supervision. Fifty-three residents completed a supervised scenario. Residents were randomised to one of three levels of supervision: telephone (distant); in-person after telephone consultation (immediately available), and in-person from the beginning of the simulation (direct). These interactions were converted into 234 pages of transcripts for analysis. We performed an inductive thematic analysis followed by a deductive analysis using situated learning theory as a theoretical framework. Learning opportunities created during simulated scenarios were identified as belonging to either of two categories, incidental and engineered opportunities. The themes resulting from this framework contributed to our understanding of trainees' contributions to patient care, supervisors' influences on patient care, and trainee-supervisor interactions. All forms of supervision offered trainees incidental opportunities for practice, although the nature of these contributions could be affected by the bedside presence of supervisors. Supervisors' involvement in patient care by telephone and in person was associated with a shift of responsibility for patient care, but represented, respectively, engineered and incidental opportunities for observation. In-person supervisor-trainee interactions added value to observation and created additional opportunities for incidental feedback and engineered practice. The shift of responsibility for patient care occurred during both direct and distant supervision, and did not necessarily translate into a lack of opportunities for trainee participation and practice.