Abstract
The paper seeks to understand organisational context and culture’s influence on engaging First Nations People in Canada in work. Organisations have opportunities to attract and engage Indigenous people, who have distinct worldviews and unique customs. Indigenous people also grapple with the historical and ongoing disparate impacts of settler colonialism that intersect colonial systems. This study worked within Indigenous research principles to encourage the articulation of deeply felt experiences of how they viewed and interacted with their work. The findings review the experiences of First Nations individuals working in non-Indigenous organisations. Through anti-colonial and critical organisational theoretical lenses, the study reveals how the context and culture that of First Nations people shaped their views of what is essential to engaging them in the workplace. The findings illustrate what First Nations people would like to see in a workplace culture, what they feel needs to be recognised as part of their unique context, and the approaches that are most important for engaging them. Understanding the effect of context and culture on positive work interactions provides new information for organisational leaders, managers, diversity officers, to better support First Nations engagement in the workplace. It may also offer an approach to better engaging other culturally diverse organisational groups. The results add value to the fields of critical theory, anti-colonial theory, critical management studies, and Indigenous wholistic theory. The results further the discussion on the processes of decolonization and the recognition of Indigenous and minority rights in the workplace.
Presenters
Susanne ThiessenAssistant Professor, Indigenous Community Engagement, School of Public Administration, University. of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Value of Culture and the Demand of Change
KEYWORDS
Indigenous context; Indigenous culture; Decolonization; Engagement; Workplace
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