Stories from the circle: Leadership lessons learned from aboriginal leaders

Working with Language: A Refocused Research Agenda for Cultural Leadership Studies

“…The decision to use a qualitative methodology was particularly driven by the researchers’ desire to ‘use research methodologies consistent with the cultural values’ of the sample (Julien et al . , p. 117). Hence, they saw interviews to be ‘harmonious with the traditional aboriginal practices of story‐telling and building strong long‐term personal relationship’ (Julien et al .…”

“…Hence, they saw interviews to be ‘harmonious with the traditional aboriginal practices of story‐telling and building strong long‐term personal relationship’ (Julien et al . , p. 117). The flexible and open‐ended nature of interviews further allowed them to explore the holistic perspective, central to aboriginal culture, which was previously identified by Redpath and Nielsen () to be omitted by etic research using predetermined western culture frameworks such as Hofstede's ().…”

“…The importance of such research into linguistic multiplicity as a means to explore culturally embedded practice is further supported by research such as Prince's () work on Taoism, Schedlitzki et al .’s () exploration of the Welsh language, Julien et al .’s () study of Canadian aboriginal leaders, and Peltonen's () conceptual history of management/leadership in Finland. The close examination of language and communication within these studies allows the researchers to highlight culturally embedded, fundamental differences in meaning and practice of leadership between these specific linguistic and cultural contexts and mainstream, western leadership theories.…”

“…Julien et al . (), in contrast, were able to highlight through their use of qualitative interviews not only the more long‐term and community focused beliefs, but also the indirect style of communication that Canadian aboriginal leaders embrace and which draws on traditional imagery, story‐telling and animal‐based metaphors. The decision to use a qualitative methodology was particularly driven by the researchers’ desire to ‘use research methodologies consistent with the cultural values’ of the sample (Julien et al .…”

Safety for Aboriginal Women in Couples Counseling Where There is a History of Intimate Partner Violence

“…The attention drawn to missing and murdered Aboriginal women as a national human rights tragedy (Amnesty International, 2013) attributes the lack of attention by government to racist and sexist stereotypes that allow the gross disproportionality of these crimes to go unaddressed in policy and practice (Pedersen, Malcoe, & Pulkingham, 2013). There are multiple references to the gender roles of women in traditional communities as political leaders and decision-makers (e.g., Julien, Wright, & Zinni, 2010) and how these roles have been challenged following European contact with the importation of patriarchal values (Stark, 2013). In addition, assimilation policies of the Canadian government led to the abuse of many children forcibly removed from their families to attend Christian residential schools (Bopp, Bopp, & Lane, 2003).…”