Navigating supervisor conflicts: The experiences of black postgraduate students in South African Higher Education Institutions
Jaqueline Boitumelo Mmapaseka Seeletse ORCID ↗ · Solly Matshonisa Seeletse
International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy · 2026 · Vol. 8 / Issue 2 · 316-324
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Abstract
Black postgraduate (PG) students in South African universities and universities of technology experience significant supervisory conflicts, including contradictory guidance, neglect, and favoritism, which delay graduation and intensify inequities rooted in post-apartheid higher education (HE) dynamics. Prevailing research overlooks these students’ lived experiences, creating a gap in understanding systemic barriers to equitable supervision. This qualitative study employed narrative inquiry with six purposively sampled black PG students (four females, two males) from PhD, MTech, and MSc programs across South African universities. Semi-structured interviews explored supervisory conflicts, institutional responses, and academic impacts. Thematic analysis framework, yielding six themes validated through member checking. Key findings revealed conflicting supervisory directions causing years-long stagnation; prolonged neglect and feedback delays demotivating students; irrelevant objectives imposed by additional supervisors leading to academic penalties; inexperienced supervisors contributing to dropouts; power imbalances and ethical breaches such as gift-giving favoring certain students; and inadequate institutional resolutions forcing adversarial advocacy. Supervisory conflicts undermine black students' progress and well-being, demanding decolonial reforms for inclusive practices. Recommendations include mandatory supervisory contracts, accreditation, ombud services, and bias training to enhance throughput and equity. Future research should pursue longitudinal, comparative designs and intervention trials.
Keywords: {'name': 'Postgraduate supervision'}, {'name': 'supervisory conflicts'}, {'name': 'higher education equity'}
Authors & affiliations
Jaqueline Boitumelo Mmapaseka Seeletse
Affiliation not supplied
Solly Matshonisa Seeletse
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
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