The Pressures of Neoliberal Managerialism

Challenges and Opportunities for Social Work Supervisors

Bibliographic Data

ID6452618
AuthorsJessica Toft (0000-0003-1265-483X, School of Social Work, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities Jessica Toft, PhD, is associate professor, , Saint Paul, MN, USA), Ruth Soffer-Elnekave (0000-0003-4407-6632, Department of Social Work, Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College Ruth Soffer-Elnekave, PhD, MSW, is assistant professor, , Jerusalem, Israel), Mingyang Zheng (0000-0001-5758-2943, School of Social Work, Radford University Mingyang Zheng, PhD, MSW, is assistant professor, , Radford, VA, USA), Molly Calhoun (School of Social Work, California State University Molly Calhoun, PhD, MSW, is assistant professor, , Chico, CA, USA), Elizabeth Lightfoot (0000-0002-0861-1047, School of Social Work, Arizona State University Elizabeth Lightfoot, PhD, is director and distinguished professor of social policy, , Phoenix, AZ, USA)
Year2025
Volume70
Issue3
Pages195-204
Publication date2025-05-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-8046 • E-ISSN: 1545-6846
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/sw/swaf015
PMID40432183
OpenAlexW4410793871
LanguageEN
References cited16

Supervisors play a key role in social work’s claim of professional authority through their efforts to promote high-quality ethical practice. Understanding the nature and extent to which social work supervisors help ensure professionalism in their organizational context is a critical concern for the public and the profession. The purpose of this article is to explore social work supervision in the context of neoliberal managerial pressures with a focus on the professional discretion and resistance to neoliberalism of social work supervisors. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design, the research measured managerialism, professional discretion, and resistance among 275 Minnesota licensed social work supervisors. The results of the survey demonstrated that on average social work supervisors act as a conduit of neoliberal governance, pressured to ensure worker productivity and efficiency, while facilitating the standardization of direct-line practice. Yet, some responses are contradictory in regard to reporting support for integrating clients’ interests while maintaining organizational pressure for predetermined interventions. Finally, the research may signal the supervisor dilemma of how to support the interests of professional social workers while positioned as managers themselves

Context (archaeology · Corporate governance · Discretion · Economics · Management · Managerialism · Neoliberalism (international relations · Political science · Public relations · Resistance (ecology · Social science · Sociology · Healthcare innovation and challenges · Law · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Public Administration · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work

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