First Nations Cultural Approaches to Work in Canada: A Multiple Case Study

Many organizations in Canada have the opportunity to diversify their workforce with a quickly growing Indigenous population. Maintaining a diverse workforce is becoming critically important for organizations as they operate in a complex environment requiring multiple approaches to problem solving and the integration of a diversity of perspectives to maintain a competitive advantage. The availability of Indigenous workers who have unique cultural perspectives would seem to be a perfect solution, however, there is a problem as to how to support and retain these workers. This issue is demonstrated by the fact that in 2011, the unemployment rate for Indigenous people in Canada was measured at 12.3%, compared with 6.8% for non-Indigenous people and numbers on retention reflect this disparity. Though barriers to successful employment are numerous and complex, Indigenous people cite a lack of cultural understanding as one of the key issues that they face with regard to employment. This qualitative, multiple case study explored further and expanded on how Indigenous cultural approaches to work and subsequent work interactions influence employment and employment retention from an Indigenous perspective. Data was collected and analyzed from 12 First Nations men and women over 18 and under 55 who had a minimum of five years' work experience in a non-Indigenous controlled organization. Findings supported that the situational interactions that have the most significance for the participants are characterized by the relationships that they have others at work. First Nations people develop distinct interactions with people at three different levels within an organization; supervisors, peers, and subordinates. Cultural identity at work is challenging because of the implicit bias, stereotyping and systemic racism that is encountered. First Nations people reported a tendency to avoid conflict or accommodate in situational interactions surrounding conflict or the perception of conflict. Collaborative approaches to leadership and to working with people at all organizational levels are preferred by First Nations people. This understanding of the context of culture and the influences on work outcomes for Indigenous people generates new understanding of the problems that are faced and the placement of cultural issues in work engagement theory. It also provides new information for HRM practitioners to better support First Nations engagement in the workplace.