Truth and Reconciliation in the Workplace: Indigenous Employment Experiences and Perceptions of Organizational Support

Grier, Melanie Ann

Truth and Reconciliation in the Workplace: Indigenous Employment Experiences and Perceptions of Organizational Support

dc.contributor.advisor	Murry, Adam
dc.contributor.author	Grier, Melanie Ann
dc.contributor.committeemember	Bourdage, Josh
dc.contributor.committeemember	Markides, Jennifer
dc.contributor.committeemember	Henderson, Rita
dc.date	2024-02
dc.date.accessioned	2023-11-07T22:13:33Z
dc.date.available	2023-11-07T22:13:33Z
dc.date.issued	2023-09-22
dc.description.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.
dc.identifier.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.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/117542
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Indigenous
dc.subject	Indigenization
dc.subject	post-secondary education
dc.subject	perceived organizational support
dc.subject	retention
dc.subject	organizational change
dc.subject	qualitative
dc.subject	thematic analysis
dc.subject	industrial-organizational
dc.subject	psychology
dc.subject	future of work
dc.subject	sustainability
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Industrial
dc.title	Truth and Reconciliation in the Workplace: Indigenous Employment Experiences and Perceptions of Organizational Support
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Psychology
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.