Employment of Indigenous Australians in the forestry sector: a case study from northern Queensland

Abstract

There are compelling reasons to encourage the employment of Indigenous Australians in the forestry sector. The benefits of, and constraints to, Indigenous employment in the sector were examined using a case study approach focused on Indigenous participation in 'Operation Farm Clear', an emergency response following Cyclone Larry in northern Queensland in 2006. The findings suggested that, given a supportive environment, there are opportunities for Indigenous people to benefit from employment in the forestry sector. These benefits included skill development and increased confidence, the opportunity for employment and participation in land management. The findings also highlighted constraints that could limit the delivery of these benefits. Constraints included an insufficient level of relevant skill or experience, lack of a supportive environment, the difficulty of balancing Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures, and limitations related to the nature of the forestry sector. In the case study, the most important factors for the realisation of benefits were the provision of long-term support and opportunities for ongoing training and employment, and the peer support provided by other Indigenous employees.

Promoting perceived insider status of indigenous employees

“…Following collectivist values, indigenous employees prefer to assume functions allowing them to contribute to community well-being (Brown and Fraehlich, 2012). They also attribute more value to jobs within their communities and that are respectful of the environment, as was shown in Australia, New Zealand and USA (Haley and Fisher, 2014;Kunz et al, 2000;Lawrence, 2005;Loxton et al, 2012;McRae-Williams and Gerritsen, 2010;Pearson and Daff, 2013;Ruwhiu and Elkin, 2016). Working on challenging, stimulating projects, in a collaborative and constructive manner, in relation with colleagues, encourages feelings of dignity and accomplishment (Durie, 2003;Ewing et al, 2017;Roche et al, 2018;Thiessen, 2016) and can contribute to fulfillment of the psychological contract.…”

“…It is important to pay adequate salaries as the feeling of being insufficiently compensated for a stressful or heavy workload has been shown to contribute to high turnover rate of indigenous employees (Cosgrave et al, 2017;Ellemers et al, 2004). Finally, PIS is favored by 621 Perceived insider status of indigenous employees participatory decision making (Hill et al, 2001;Kuntz et al, 2014;Roche et al, 2018;Shore et al, 2011) and by capacity to influence organization development (Ding and Shen, 2017;Hui et al, 2015;Loxton et al, 2012;Mor Barak et al, 1998;Pelled et al, 1999;Pless and Maak, 2004;Randel et al, 2018;Whiteside et al, 2006). Developing skills.…”

“…To the contrary, attribution of repetitive or trivial tasks decreases interest toward work, and increases the risk of resigning (Mills and Clarke, 2009;Pearson and Daff, 2013;Rerden and Guerin, 2015). Task variety is also appreciated by indigenous employees in Australia (Ewing et al, 2017;Loxton et al, 2012;Rerden and Guerin, 2015). However, it is important 622 CCSM 26,4 not to overcharge employees so that they can have free time to engage in innovative behavior (Wang et al, 2017) and to achieve objectives (Guillaume et al, 2014).…”

“…Organizing activities unrelated to work allowed indigenous and non-indigenous employees in Australia and Canada to learn about each other in informal contexts and to develop relationships (Daly and Gebremedhin, 2015;Rerden and Guerin, 2015;Thiessen, 2016). Mechanisms aiming to settle conflicts in a collaborative, respectful and authentic manner can favor integration (Ferdman, 2014;Ferdman et al, 2010;Hawke, 2001, 2002;Loxton et al, 2012;Pless and Maak, 2004). As indigenous employees are generally more comfortable reporting problematic situations to indigenous mentors, their collaboration is important (Burgess and Dyer, 2009;Rerden and Guerin, 2015).…”

“…The lack of knowledge and consideration for indigenous traditions, cultures and contexts is one of the stumbling blocks to implementing a work climate conducive to integration (Haar and Brougham, 2013;Pearson and Daff, 2013;Purdie et al, 2006). 26,4 Several indigenous cultures are collectivist rather than individualistic (Haar et al, 2018;Haar and Staniland, 2016;Redpath and Nielsen, 1997) and they favor employment opportunities that will benefit their communities (Haley and Fisher, 2014;Hobart, 1981;Johnson and Basile, 2006;Kunz et al, 2000;Lawrence, 2005;Loxton et al, 2012;McRae-Williams and Gerritsen, 2010;Pearson and Daff, 2013;Ruwhiu and Elkin, 2016;Trigger, 2002). When seeking for a job, indigenous people rely more on personal connections than on other methods (Caron et al, 2019;Haley and Fisher, 2014;Hunter and Gray, 2006;Maru and Davies, 2011).…”