Sharing the Same Path? The Role of Similarity and Shared Reality with Supervisors in PhD Candidates’ Work Engagement

Research on doctoral supervisory relationships has increasingly emphasized the importance of similarity between supervisors and PhD candidates. However, the literature remains unclear about what this similarity actually consists of and whether its different forms matter equally for doctoral experience. Addressing this gap, the present study examines the relationships between similarity with the supervisor, supervisory relationship quality, and PhD candidates’ work engagement. More specifically, it distinguishes between two forms of perceived similarity: deep-level similarity, referring to similarity in psychological characteristics, and shared reality, referring to a common perspective on doctoral work. We surveyed 225 PhD candidates from universities across France. The findings support the distinction between deep-level similarity and shared reality as two separate forms of similarity in doctoral supervision. Multiple regression analyses show that, although both forms predict supervisory relationship quality, only shared reality significantly predicts PhD candidates’ work engagement, and this association is not mediated by relationship quality. These results suggest that what matters for PhD candidates’ engagement is not only being similar to one’s supervisor, but also sharing a common understanding of the doctoral project. By demonstrating the distinctive role of shared reality, this study advances current models of supervisory similarity and offers a more precise account of the relational mechanisms that sustain doctoral supervision.