Indigenous Workways: Developing a Relational Conversation Protocol

The purpose of this study was to employ the use of relational conversations when investigating the workplace experiences of Indigenous employees. In Indigenous cultures, relational conversations are highly regarded since they are aligned with the collectivist culture and are recognized as a method of gathering knowledge based on Indigenous traditions of oral storytelling (Kovach, 2010).

Indigenous employees were identified and contacted via the Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre at the University of Waterloo and the Indigenous Student Centre at Wilfred Laurier University. The relational conversations were conducted at the employee’s workplace and audio recorded. Conversations were coded for emergent underlying themes, (Barney, 2016) and the 4 Rs which include respect, responsibility, reciprocity, and relevance (Kirkness & Barnhardt, 1991).

This project demonstrates the effectiveness of research methods that are the situated within the Indigenous paradigm (Kovach, 2010). The themes identified from these conversations will help to identify critical constructs related to Indigenous employee well-being and job satisfaction through meaningful experiences.