The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 1 - 42

Stephen A. Berg, Casey Graham Brown

rience and allow for RA supervision and training to focus on fewer areas, helping to reduce
RA role ambiguity.
Role ambiguity and role conflict are two
important factors in the RA position related
to job satisfaction (Deluga & Winters, 1990).
Future researchers should examine specific
aspects of supervision, such as availability and
approachability, to see how they relate to role
ambiguity and role conflict. This could help
researchers better understand the relationship
between role conflict and role ambiguity and
specific supervisory behaviors. Additionally, an
area that should be explored is how supervisors gain synergistic supervisory skills and the
impact that training has in this process.

SUMMARY
This study showed a relationship between synergistic supervision and lower role conflict,
lower role ambiguity, lower intent to turnover,
and higher job satisfaction. Studies of role ambiguity, role conflict, intention to turnover, and
job satisfaction showed that these are important
measures for staff retention. Higher levels of
synergistic supervision are related to the desired
relationship with all of these factors. Little research has been conducted on supervision in
student affairs, particularly on the supervisory
relationship between RDs and RAs. In this
study, research on synergistic supervision was
built upon and expanded to the paraprofessional student staff population. There is a still much
to learn about the impacts of supervision and
the qualities of an effective supervisor; however,
supervision is a skill that can be developed, and
the more tools given to a supervisor, the more
likely he or she is to be successful.

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