Indigenous Workers and Conflict Management

Keywords: Indigenous, Workplace, Conflict Management, Canada

Abstract: Indigenous peoples of Canada share values, culture, and worldviews which differ greatly from the general population, especially Caucasian Canadians. Though Indigenous peoples are a distinct cultural group, research on North American conflict management styles has thus far neglected to address Indigenous peoples. Based on the dual concern model, it is the aim of the current research to demonstrate Indigenous workers’ conflict management preferences, and their distinction from Caucasian Canadian preferences. Additionally, this research may provide further support for the theory of holistic conflict resolution, wherein conflict management behaviour is theorized to be dynamic within situations. Moreover, differences between these groups may indicate that Indigenous peoples need to be considered differently in the workplace. As conflict management has been tied to employee satisfaction and retention, efforts to improve conflict management processes for Indigenous workers may positively impact the Canadian economy.