Rethinking research supervision: some reflections from the field of employment relations

This essay offers some reflections for the theory and practice of research supervision drawn from the field of employment relations. It argues that rethinking supervision in terms of the employment relationship can advance dialogue and debate about supervision. This is twofold. (1) Reframing supervision in terms of the employment relationship can illuminate our understanding of supervision as an institutionally prescribed power relationship. (2) Normative scholarship on the employment relationship can illuminate what may constitute ‘good’ supervision as well as inspire a benchmark against which supervision can be evaluated and managed. The essay concludes by suggesting some possible implications for supervisory practice.