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Advisor Multicultural Orientation and Advisory Alliance: Extending the MCO to Advisory Relationships
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Advisor Multicultural Orientation and Advisory Alliance: Extending the MCO to Advisory Relationships

Kun Wang, Rayna C. Narvaez, Christopher Anders, Stacey McElroy-Heltzel, Karen W. Tao and Martin Kivlighan
The Counseling psychologist
07/27/2026
DOI: 10.1177/00110000261465026

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Abstract

Academic advisors’ attention to culture is important for graduate student success, yet cultural processes in advising remain understudied. This study extends the multicultural orientation (MCO) framework—previously examined in therapy and clinical supervision—to the advisory relationship. Participants included 343 doctoral advisees and 187 advisors from 45 APA-accredited counseling psychology programs in the United States. Multilevel models tested associations between advisory alliance and advisees’ perceptions of advisor MCO at within-advisor, between-advisor, and between-faculty levels. Cultural humility and cultural comfort were positively associated with advisory alliance across all three levels. Advisees reported stronger alliances when they perceived their advisor as more culturally humble and comfortable than did other advisees of the same advisor, when their advisor was rated more positively than other advisors, and when their faculty was perceived as more culturally humble and comfortable than those in other programs. Higher advisor cultural opportunities also predicted stronger alliance. Findings support attending to culture in advising and inform future training and research.
 cultural humility cultural comfort cultural opportunities doctoral education faculty mentoring

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