Exploring postgraduate supervision barriers through interviews with early-career supervisors in the field of accountancy

Purpose – This study aims to explore the barriers to successful supervision experienced by early-career supervisors in the field of accountancy through in-depth interviews. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted with early-career supervisors in an accounting department at a comprehensive residential university in South Africa. The interviews were transcribed, and themes were identified through thematic analysis. Findings – Four barriers to successful supervision were identified: (1) the tension between work and research responsibilities; (2) the supervisor’s perceived lack of research skills and knowledge; (3) uncertainty about the supervision process and (4) a poorly defined student-supervisor relationship. The barriers are explored from the perspective of adult learning theory. Originality/value – Early-career supervisors experience specific challenges in providing quality supervision. The existing literature has not adequately addressed these challenges. The study makes a novel contribution to the body of supervision literature by focusing on the challenges experienced by early-career supervisors within the field of accountancy.