Abstract

This conceptual paper explores issues related to immigration, cultural diversity, and the challenges of sustaining a positive sense of community in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Our city has recently experienced a large influx of immigrants, and the study explores the impact of this sudden increase in diversity on both the Newcomer families and on relationships between them and the local host community, which includes a large Indigenous population. The situation has the potential to cause misunderstanding, racism, and even violence, compromising community cohesion and diminishing overall well-being. Viewing society as both a community and an organization, our objective in this conceptual paper is to discuss the complexity of enabling learning to manage change in a unique temporal and geographic setting. We provide a preliminary conceptual exploration of how insights from community development theory, organizational learning theory, and leadership theory might be mobilized to promote greater cross-cultural understanding in Saskatoon as a means of enhancing community well-being.