The Effects of Cognitive Style on Research Supervision: A Study of Student-Supervisor Dyads in Management Education

Although attention has been paid to many aspects of teaching and learning in management education, one seriously overlooked facet is the process of research supervision. Research at both the graduate and undergraduate levels suggests that the relationship between student and supervisor is a significant predictor of success and failure in independent research projects. One personality variable shown to be partly responsible for shaping the overall effectiveness of such relationships is cognitive style, defined as consistent individual differences in how we perceive, organize, and process information; solve problems; learn; and relate to others. In this study we examined the effects of differences and similarities in the analytic-intuitive dimension of cognitive style on the supervision process. Data were collected from both partners in 421 dyadic relationships, each comprising an academic supervisor and a management student undertaking a major research project. Findings suggest that analytic supervisors were perceived to be significantly more nurturing and less dominant than their more intuitive counterparts, indicating a higher degree of closeness in their relationships. This led to increased liking in the relationship, and significantly higher performance outcomes for the student. These effects were highest in dyads whose students and supervisors were more analytic.