Truth and Reconciliation in the Workplace: Indigenous Employment Experiences and Perceptions of Organizational Support
Date
2023-09-22
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Background: Truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada is of paramount importance, but despite initiatives like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action in 2015, progress is sluggish, particularly in sectors related to employment. Since poverty and underemployment directly impact disparities in all other sectors (e.g., education, health, and criminal justice), employment must remain a focus of truth and reconciliation efforts. Unfortunately, barriers like organizational ignorance of how to support Indigenous employees impede meaningful Indigenous participation in the workforce, highlighting the need for intervention. Responding to these calls, this pragmatic, action research-oriented qualitative investigation identifies sources of organizational support for Indigenous post-secondary employees using theoretical concepts from organizational psychology to support leaders in effectively and appropriately supporting Indigenous employees. Methods: Using a purposive sampling approach, 18 self-identified Indigenous staff and faculty members at public post-secondary research institutions in southwestern Canada agreed to participate in the study. I conducted semi-structured interviews with participants to discuss their work experiences and perceptions of organizational support. Iterative inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used to describe common themes within the interview transcripts. Results: Three prominent themes emerged: Stay Factors (encompassing Reciprocity and Belonging), Retention Factors (comprising Institutional, Cultural, Individual, and Relational Support Factors), and Leave Factors (consisting of Workload, Discrimination, and Organizational Dysfunction). Participants reported supportive attributes of their work directly from their institution, such as monetary rewards and benefits, as well as indirect supports that provide new ideas for organizationally supportive policies and services, such as culturally responsive performance review and advancement policies. These findings highlight various retention factors, emphasizing opportunities for organizational leaders to strengthen support for Indigenous post-secondary employees. Conclusion: This study offers theoretical contributions and provides concrete recommendations for how organizations can support Indigenous employees in post-secondary institutions and beyond. Using these findings as a stepping stone, organizations can more effectively support Indigenous employees and contribute to tangible truth and reconciliation progress.
Description
Keywords
Indigenous, Indigenization, post-secondary education, perceived organizational support, retention, organizational change, qualitative, thematic analysis, industrial-organizational, psychology, future of work, sustainability
Citation
Grier, M. A. (2023). Truth and reconciliation in the workplace: Indigenous employment experiences and perceptions of organizational support (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.