The goal of this study was to examine the influence of supervisory styles on process and outcome variables in supervision.
One major purpose of the present study is to investigate the influence of supervisory style perceived by a supervisee on supervi...
The goal of this study was to examine the influence of supervisory styles on process and outcome variables in supervision.
One major purpose of the present study is to investigate the influence of supervisory style perceived by a supervisee on supervisory processes and outcomes. In addition, it was examined whether the effects of the style on the outcome variables would be mediated by the effects of the process variables. Another major purpose of this study is to determine whether discrepancy between a supervisee's expected versus their perceived supervisory style would affect supervision process and outcome variables. It was also investigated if supervision process variables mediate the effects of differences between a supervisee's expectations about their supervisor's style versus their perceptions of the style that were actually used by the supervisor during supervision.
In this study, a supervisee's perceived working alliance and their nondisclosure in supervision sessions were assumed as process variables, and a supervisee's satisfaction with supervision and their counselor self-efficacy as outcome ones of supervision.
The results from the data are summarized as below.
First, multiple regression analyses revealed that each of three dimensions of supervisory style significantly increased the supervisory working alliance and satisfaction with supervision rated by a supervisee. In contrast, data showed that the variance of supervisee nondisclosure was not significantly explained by any of three style dimensions. Also, after the effects of a supervisee's development level as a counselor and their global self-efficacy were controlled for, only the Attraction dimension was predictive of a supervisee's self-efficacy as a counselor.
Second, path analysis was used to test a model in which the supervision process variables mediate the relationship of the supervisory style with the outcome variables in supervision. The proposed model fit well with the data. The relationships in the model suggested that supervisory working alliance is a significant mediating variable in the relationship between three dimensions of supervisory style versus satisfaction with supervision, and in the relationship between the Attraction dimension versus a supervisee's counselor self-efficacy. Yet, supervisee nondisclosure was found not to have a linking effect on any of these relationships.
Third, from multiple regression analyses, it was found that while discrepancy in both the Attraction and the Task-Orientation between a supervisee's expectations versus their perceptions of the supervisor's style had a significant, negative effect on the Bond component of supervisory working alliance, differences in both the Interpersonal Sensitivity and the Task-Orientation had a significant, negative effect on the Goal and the Tasks of the alliance. Also, the results indicated that gap only in the Attraction dimension significantly increased supervisee nondisclosure while discrepancy in both the Interpersonal Sensitivity and the Task-Orientation did not have a unique contribution. Conversely, with regard to satisfaction with supervision, differences in both the Interpersonal Sensitivity and the Task-Orientation dimensions were found to have a significant, negative effect. Also, when a supervisee's development level as a counselor and their global self- efficacy were adjusted, it was found that any difference in three dimensions of supervisory style did not account for the variance of a supervisee's counselor self-efficacy.
Finally, path analysis was conducted with a model in which the process variables of supervision mediate the outcomes in supervision associated with incongruence of a supervisee's expections and perceptions of the supervisory style. The hypothesized model had a good fit with the data of the present investigation. More specifically, it was confirmed that supervisory working alliance is a significant mediating variable in the relationship between differences in both the Interpersonal Sensitivity and the Task-Orientation versus satisfaction with supervision. However, supervisee nondisclosure was found not to have a mediating effect on either relationship.
The present study comprehensively investigated the impact of supervisory style on processes and outcomes of supervision using data from a large sample size, which seems meaningful in considering the scant of counseling supervision research in Korea. In terms of supervision theory, distinctively from previous studies on supervisory style that have solely focused on the relations between certain two variables (e.g., supervisory style vs. supervisory working alliance), this study identified the direct and(or) indirect effects of supervisory style on outcome variables and the mediating effects of process variables on the relationships between the style and outcomes. In addition, by introducing the new concept of discrepancy between a supervisee's expectations and perceptions of their supervisor's style, this study empirically showed the influence of this incongruity on processes and outcomes of supervision. The findings of this study also have relevance to supervision practice, suggesting both trainees and supervisors to make efforts to decrease the gap between a supervisee's expectations and actual perceptions of their supervisor's style for supervision effectiveness.
In spite of some important implications, there also were a few limitations in this study. The limitations pertain to high intercorrelations among the three supervisory style dimensions , a single post-test only design, and the sole reliance on self-report data from supervisees. Also, research assumptions (e.g., stability of supervisory style over time) held for this study put a restriction on the generalizability of the findings.