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1 – 10 of 357Deborah McPhee, Mark Julien, Diane Miller and Barry Wright
Drawing upon the theoretical concept of social identities, the purpose of this paper is to investigate if an aboriginal employee resource group (ERG) helps to improve…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon the theoretical concept of social identities, the purpose of this paper is to investigate if an aboriginal employee resource group (ERG) helps to improve connectedness between the participants of the ERG and the organization in a Canadian context.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative research was used to interview 13 members of this ERG situated within a large Canadian bank.
Findings
The ERG created a positive experience for its members. It provided a bridge between the aboriginal identity and the organizational identity. Those who were part of the ERG felt that it encouraged them to bond to their cultural identity and that it also generated affirmative connections to the organization.
Practical implications
For employers seeking a more diverse workforce who have struggled with retaining employees from marginalized groups, ERGs may prove helpful.
Originality/value
This study posits a theoretical perspective of how ERGs are able to connect minority members to organizations through the recognition of dual identities. This is also the first study to examine the benefits of an aboriginal ERG.
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The purpose of this paper is to reveal the success factors for retention of first year special entry Aboriginal students at an Australian metropolitan university. A retention…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the success factors for retention of first year special entry Aboriginal students at an Australian metropolitan university. A retention model is proposed for minority students.
Design/methodology/approach
A grounded theory approach was taken to a longitudinal study of the first year experience of 12 indigenous tertiary students, the majority being second generation undergraduates. A qualitative methodology features in‐depth interviews conducted three times over one year to ascertain impacts of schooling, teaching and learning, life experience, career aspirations, relationships and racial identity on academic success.
Findings
Positive or negative prior life experience had little impact on first year academic performance. Indigenous students as an equity group were found to have similar learning and life issues to non‐indigenous students such as studying to improve job prospects and needing part‐time employment to survive. They did not see themselves as different, and had no close relationship to indigenous knowledge or culture. Yet factors influencing academic success were related to indigeneity. Such as close friendships and dependence on each other, mentoring care of staff, and rewards of giving back through mentoring local indigenous school students. Private schools provided a dominant pipeline to university. Participants had a very early career focus but little career support. Students adopted both indigenous and non‐indigenous world perspectives and displayed robust resilience in the face of challenging family and educational experiences. In‐depth interviews across the year well demonstrated student evolutions. Further longitudinal study of student progress will extend this first Australian study.
Originality/value
This is the first in‐depth analysis and benchmark model for development of success factors for retaining special entry indigenous Australian students in higher education. It provides a one‐year baseline for a unique longitudinal assessment of student success. The paper newly explores the role of career and indigeneity as well as life and academic support systems in student retention. Findings apply to minority retention programs.
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Elizabeth Erwin and Linda Muzzin
The purpose of this paper is to document experiences of Aboriginal students in community colleges from the perspective of Aboriginal communities rather than policymakers and shows…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to document experiences of Aboriginal students in community colleges from the perspective of Aboriginal communities rather than policymakers and shows how these communities support student persistence in college.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews with 16 Aboriginal college students, staff and community members were undertaken with Aboriginal guidance, and analysis was undertaken informed by the writings of Aboriginal scholars.
Findings
The major finding was that First Nations students experience a disconnect between the epistemology of Aboriginal peoples and ways of being in community colleges. Most demonstrate bravery and persistence in their studies as well as resistance to assimilation. Understanding and support is provided by surrounding Aboriginal communities, based on their appreciation of the epistemological roots of the problem.
Practical implications
Frequent reference to the absence of Indigenous Knowledges suggests that more must be done to make Aboriginal students feel safe in colleges where they are in the minority. In view of their feeling of “disconnect,” safe Aboriginal centers, or “homes away from home” are one of many ways to support these students.
Originality/value
The research challenges assimilationist approaches to Aboriginal college students, and highlights supporting Indigenous peoples, as described in global terms by Indigenous scholars.
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Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Valerie Harwood, Samantha McMahon and Amy Priestly
Generally, theory and research investigating the effectiveness of mentoring has offered little resounding evidence to attest to mentoring programmes being a strategic initiative…
Abstract
Purpose
Generally, theory and research investigating the effectiveness of mentoring has offered little resounding evidence to attest to mentoring programmes being a strategic initiative that make a real difference in reducing the educational inequities many minority students endure. In contrast to this existing research base, the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) has often been cited as one of the most successful mentoring initiatives within Australia. It is the purpose of this chapter to examine how AIME may impact on the educational aspirations and school self-concept of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Methodology
A series of multi-group analyses were centred around Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling techniques that sought not only to explore the psychometric validity of the measures utilized within this study, but also to identify how the measures may be related after accounting for background variables (e.g. gender, parental education).
Findings
The results found that the measures utilized held strong psychometric properties allowing an increased level of confidence in the measures used and the conclusion that may be drawn from their use in analyses. Overall, the results suggested that AIME is an effective tool for increasing not only the educational aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students but also their levels (and utility) of School Self-concept and School Enjoyment.
Implications
The implications suggest that not only is AIME an essential tool for closing the educational gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal students, but also our understanding of mentoring must be extended well beyond simplistic notions of role-modelling.
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Andrew J. Martin, Paul Ginns, Brad Papworth and Harry Nejad
Aboriginal students experience disproportionate academic disadvantage at school. It may be that a capacity to effectively deal with academic setback and challenge (academic…
Abstract
Purpose
Aboriginal students experience disproportionate academic disadvantage at school. It may be that a capacity to effectively deal with academic setback and challenge (academic buoyancy) can reduce the incidence of academic adversity. To the extent that this is the case, academic buoyancy may also be associated with positive educational intentions. This study explores the role of academic buoyancy in Aboriginal students’ post-school educational intentions.
Methodology/approach
The survey-based study comprises Aboriginal (N = 350) and non-Aboriginal (N = 592) high school students in Australia.
Findings
Academic buoyancy yielded larger effect sizes for Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal students’ educational intentions – particularly in senior high school when educational intentions are most likely to translate into post-school educational behaviour.
Social and practical implications
Post-school education is one pathway providing access to social opportunity. Any thorough consideration of students’ passage into and through post-school education must first consider the bases of students’ academic plans and, by implication, their decision to pursue further study. Identifying factors such as academic buoyancy in this process provides some specific direction for practice and policy aimed at optimizing Aboriginal students’ academic and non-academic development.
Originality/value of chapter
Academic buoyancy is a recently proposed construct in the psycho-educational literature and has not been investigated among Aboriginal student populations. Its role in relation to post-school educational intentions is also a novel empirical contribution for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students alike.
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Frank Morven and J. Barton Cunningham
The purpose of this paper is to define different types of culturally commensurate experiences, events, activities and interventions which Indigenous people find relevant for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to define different types of culturally commensurate experiences, events, activities and interventions which Indigenous people find relevant for improving cultural diversity.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on interviews and surveys with Indigenous Probations Officers, the authors define a framework of nine experiences and events relevant to the organization, team and cultural development.
Findings
The key finding lies in proposing a framework of what Indigenous Probation Officers finding lies view as commensurate experiences, activities or interventions which recognize their cultural context (American Psychological Association, 2003).
Research limitations/implications
The key limitations to this study are the size of the sample and the inability to conclusively argue that the framework of experiences developed can claim to represent those important for improving recruitment and retentions of all Indigenous Probation Officers. Further exploratory research of this type is necessary to add to this research in guiding future research and practice.
Practical implications
The definition of a multicultural experiences offered here might be useful in encouraging Probation Officers and others in developing a deeper appreciation of cultures of Indigenous peoples and other groups.
Social implications
The purpose is to better understand an Indigenous perspective on enhancing a connection to culture within the Corrections system.
Originality/value
Rather than using a list of competencies to shape behaviors and experiences that people practice, the underlying assumption is to encourage cultural multiculturalism framework competency development by focusing on experiences and events important to objectives related to improving diversity.
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The research examined the career progression factors of Aboriginal executives in Canada's federal public service to determine whether such factors as development opportunities…
Abstract
The research examined the career progression factors of Aboriginal executives in Canada's federal public service to determine whether such factors as development opportunities, job assignments, education levels, mentoring, leadership experience, and networking increase the advancement of Aboriginal people to the executive category within the Canadian federal public service.
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Janet Davey, Raechel Johns and James Blackwell
Service marketers are increasingly aware of inequalities triggered by service systems and the need to prioritize practical strategies for reducing inequalities. A priority area…
Abstract
Purpose
Service marketers are increasingly aware of inequalities triggered by service systems and the need to prioritize practical strategies for reducing inequalities. A priority area for the Australian Government is reducing university education inequities for Indigenous Australians. This paper aims to examine how Indigenous Australian university students build and leverage their capabilities and strengths, harnessing service providers’ efforts towards enhancing participation (and completion) in university education – an essential transformative outcome for reducing inequalities.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage qualitative research process explored student retention/completion and capability building among a sample of Indigenous Australian university students, typically under-represented in the higher education sector.
Findings
Applying a manual thematic analysis, the findings reveal Indigenous students’ value co-creating capabilities (summarized in three dimensions) harness multi-actor processes extending beyond the service provider. Five dimensions summarize the service provider’s transformative service activities that strengthen capabilities for Indigenous Australian university students. Networks of place (a structured Indigenous Centre); processes (university systems); and people (social support), including peer-to-peer networks, are important service assemblages.
Practical implications
The authors present implications for supporting Indigenous students in persisting with and completing higher education. More broadly, the authors provide recommendations for service marketers to resolve barriers to service equality and enhance strengths-based approaches to value co-creation.
Originality/value
Underpinned by a strengths-based approach, the authors contribute towards an agenda of sustainable transformative services. Although considerable research reviews the experiences of Indigenous students, little research has taken a transformative service research perspective. Addressing this, the authors propose a conceptual framework linking consumers’ agentic capabilities with transformative service mediator practices.
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Amzad Hossain, Ying Kong, Harvey Briggs and Kim Laycock
This paper aims to analyze Northern Manitoba employers' indexes of employability skills that influence the UCN (University College of the North) students' employability in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze Northern Manitoba employers' indexes of employability skills that influence the UCN (University College of the North) students' employability in indigenous contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This study constructs the employability skills into six indexes from employers' perspective: reading comprehension, numeracy, technology, soft skills, job searching skills and indigenous cultural awareness. Mixed methods have been applied to this research: survey data are used for empirical analysis of the six indexes of employability skills; secondary sources of similar studies together with functional theory in education as a framework is adopted to explore the breadth and depth of employability skills requested by employers; indexing analysis is adopted to validate the necessity of developing such skills in indigenous contexts in Northern Manitoba.
Findings
The correlation analyses and mean values show that employers in Northern Manitoba take the six indexes as influential factors of students' employability. As such, the study indicates that Northern Manitoba employers consider employability in indigenous contexts as a combination of basic skills, professional requirements, soft skills and cultural awareness. The employers' attested employability is in line with the concept of the technical-function theory, which requires education to meet the demand for updated job skills due to a technological change. Moreover, Northern Manitoba employers' emphasis on indigenous cultural awareness as employability skills rationalizes the necessity to integrate indigenous cultural contents into programs and curriculums in UCN and post-secondary institutes with similar attributes. It confirms that indigenous cultural awareness is required by employers in Northern Manitoba populated with indigenous communities. The research findings suggest that the functional theory of education might help UCN and similar institutions globally to offer programs that will reduce employment inequality.
Research limitations/implications
This research is conducted among the employers in Northern Manitoba, and the indexes and their factors are designed to evaluate UCN students' employability in general.
Practical implications
The outcomes of this paper can be applied as a parameter for upgrading educational strategies to integrate essential and professional employability skills such as reading comprehension, numeracy, technology, soft skills and job searching skills with indigenous cultural components into UCN curriculums and programs. It can be applied to other post-secondary institutes with similar attributes to enhance their students' employability. Furthermore, the research findings can be used as a guideline for UCN to tailor their programs for the job market locally and as references for post-secondary institutions with similar student compositions globally.
Originality/value
This paper provides empirical evidence from the employers' viewpoint to support the necessity of integrating essential and professional employability skills with indigenous cultural awareness into the curriculums and programs of UCN, a post-secondary institution in indigenous populated Northern Manitoba. Furthermore, it is also attested that employers consider indigenous cultural awareness as an influential factor of students' employability in indigenous contexts.
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Savvas Lithopoulos and Rick Ruddell
The purpose of this paper is to compare the self‐reported attitudes toward Aboriginal policing of officers in isolated/remote communities with those from accessible Aboriginal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the self‐reported attitudes toward Aboriginal policing of officers in isolated/remote communities with those from accessible Aboriginal communities.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey results are reported for 294 officers working in Aboriginal communities throughout Canada.
Findings
Officers working in remote jurisdictions tended to be younger, better educated, and had less policing experience than those working in non‐isolated Aboriginal communities. Social problems in these remote communities were thought to be more serious than those reported by officers working in accessible Aboriginal communities. Despite these demographic and contextual differences, self‐reported attitudes toward Aboriginal policing were generally similar, although officers working in isolated communities tended to report more conservative views on enforcement.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the results is limited by the modest (40.7 percent) response rate, and the fact that officers working in Aboriginal agencies were less likely to participate than those working for national or provincial police services.
Practical implications
The results suggest that more effective recruiting, training, and retention strategies should be developed for officers working in Aboriginal communities.
Originality/value
This is the first comprehensive study of the perceptions of officers toward Aboriginal policing. While the police in isolated communities represent a small proportion of all law enforcement officers, their insight sheds light on this often misunderstood and under‐researched aspect of law enforcement.
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