Ernest Cyril de Run

How to establish and maintain a constructive supervisor-

student relationship

AP Dr. Ernest Cyril de RunFaculty of Economics and Business

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Ernest Cyril de Run

Who am I?• Businessman• Joined Unimas in 1996 as a Tutor• Degree from UKM; Masters from

Waikato, NZ; PhD from Otago, NZ• Have supervised many

undergraduate and some postgraduate

• Promotions, Cross cultural studies• http://de-run.blogspot.com/• Facebook – Ernest C de Run

Ernest Cyril de Run

Some of My Students

PhDDwi Sunu Kanto

Fathan Soetrisno

Heriyadi Kusnaryadi

Hiram Ting

Mung Ling Voon

Tariq Jales

Eng Hock Lee

Ahsan Mahmood Ahmad

Iftikhar Ahmed

Muhammad Mohsin Butt

Jee Teck Weng

Ernest Cyril de Run

Format

• Understanding culture; forms of communication; self, other and relationship

• Supervisory styles and roles vs student roles

• Strategies and tips – how to relate, getting feedback, 1st meeting

• Stages of relationship and tips

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CultureCulture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Tylor, Edward (1924) [orig. 1871]. Primitive Culture. 7th ed. New York: Brentano's.

Only exist in our minds

Three layers of culture:

Cultural traditions - shared language, traditions, and beliefs

Subculture

Cultural universals

Ernest Cyril de Run

Culture

(WA)

(WA)

World Average(WA)

Asia Average

LTOUAIMASIDV

Malaysia (M)

(M)

(M)

(M)

(WA)

PDI

(WA)

Figure 1: Hofstede’s Cultural Profile for Singapore and MalysiaHofstede 2001, 2003 *Note: PDI = power distance index; IDV = individualism; MAS = masculinity; UAI = uncertainty avoidance index; and LTO = long term orientation (no score for Malaysia)

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Forms of Communication• Linear• Osgood Schramm• Kotler’s

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Self, Other and Relationship

• 3 paradigms that look at cultural issues (individualistic and collectivist) as well as communications in discussing relationships.– Paradigm 1: Individual Selves loosely Connected

view of relationship– Paradigm 2: The Embedded Self view of relationship– Paradigm 3: Nonseparable Self / Other /

Relationship view of relationship

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Supervisory Styles

Supervisory Styles

• Excellent supervisors made a transition from one style to the other during candidature, in the main:– when the candidate was in crisis;– when the candidate made a transition through

various stages.• In the majority of cases, styles between

supervisors and students were relatively congruent. http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/supervision/supervisor/styles/

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Supervisor’s Roles

• The main supervisor's role should be detailed in your university's regulations,http://www.postgrad.unimas.my/images/regulation_2009/graduate%20studies%20regulations%202011%20.pdf, page 23

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Students Roles

• Students role should be detailed in your university's regulations,http://www.postgrad.unimas.my/images/regulation_2009/graduate%20studies%20regulations%202011%20.pdf, page 22

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How to relate

• Balance between benign neglect to taking over

BalancingEmpowerment

I disempower myself: withdraw, become more passive; rely too much on the other to take the initiative; or provide the impetus - 'laissez faire'.

Empowered communication: appropriately assertive; not disempowering the other person; actively empowering the other person.

I disempower the other person: being overly directive; controlling; or even coercive.

Effective ListeningFocus too much on the other person. Listen too much.

Balance attention on myself and other person.

Too preoccupied with my own agenda. Listen too little.

Task vs Relationship

Focus so much on feelings, needs and the relationship that I lose sight of the task.

Balance between focus on task and the focus on the relationship/process.

Focus so much on the task that I lose sight of feelings, needs and the relationship.

NOTE: Positioning yourself ‘in the centre’will involve:1. Not focusing on ego-issues (taking it personally)

2. An openness to alternative perspectives and new information

3. A collaborative, problem solving mind-set.

(Adapted from materials provided by Geoff Mortimore, CEDAM, ANU.)

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Strategies for getting best feedback

• Be prepared.

• Know what you want.

• Ask questions.

• Seek feedback from as many sources as possible.

Tips for First Meeting• Be punctual & greet your supervisor is usually a good start and remember

to smile. After the usual chit-chat, introductions & warm welcome...

1. Work schedule 2. Work style 3. Facilities/Support available to you 4. Budgets 5. Bring the proposal you submitted during PhD application 6. Meeting times with supervisor. Set a routine. 7. Next meeting objective - "Why are you having a meeting?"And while all this is going on...put out all your virtual-feelers-tentacles to get a 'feel' 'vibe' 'chemistry' between you & your supervisor. Good working relationships make the journey even enjoyable. It's just like THE first date... *smile*

Zia Ibrahin in Doctorate Support Group, Closed Group — doctsupp@groups.facebook.com, 011111

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Initial Stage• You will want to discuss your ideas, to 'try them

on', to see if they will work, are feasible, etc. • Here you need the experience of your

supervisor and therefore his or her serious feedback on your proposals.

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Middle Stage

• You will need to discuss the results you are beginning to get, what they mean, what is the best way to analyze them, and how you use this evidence for your argument.

• It is also the time when you are likely to discover that some things are not working and you need help to explore ways of overcoming the obstacles.

Writing Stage

• Feedback is vital. • No matter how many discussions you

have had with your supervisor and how well you think everything is going, it is only through your written work that you and your supervisor can judge the progress and quality of your research.

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Viva

• Some would like to have their supervisor at the Viva, others don’t. You decide.

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Viva Tips• Try to learn some social ‘niceties’ n social etiquette • Learn how to introduce yourself concisely.• Take your time when responding to questions. • Ask for clarification and/or repetition if you do not understand what is said. • Keep your answers relatively brief and concise. • If the examiner wants to talk to you about something, let them talk. • Look at both examiners, • Treat the viva as a professional event and a job to be done. • Do not speak too loudly or too quietly. • Avoid over-use of humour. • Avoid extremes of emotion. • Do not be unnecessarily deferential. • Draw attention to things in your thesis that you particularly like• Hold your head up high. • Be philosophical. Most students get minor corrections in their thesis• Remember that whatever happens, you will be getting valuable feedback • Finally, hard though it may seem, do look as if you are enjoying the viva!

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/leap/listeningandspeaking/skills/tips_for_viva/

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End Stage

• Do consider if you want to develop a long term relationship with your supervisor

• Future publications, joint research, introductions, etc.

• Is it really worth while to burn bridges?

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Thank You