Developing a Both-Ways Management Education Pedagogy
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_________________________________________________________ Developing a both-ways management education pedagogy from the key motivations of Aboriginal Australians _________________________________________________________ A thesis submitted by Daniel Henry Guilfoyle, BA. (Usyd), M. Psych. (WSU) Student Number: 11400712 In fulfilment of the award of Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Business, Charles Sturt University January, 2016 A B S T R A C T This thesis investigates the key motivations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in an attempt to identify factors that need to be taken into consideration in designing a pedagogical framework for management education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The choice of topic was influenced by the Aboriginal Employment Strategy’s successes in assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job searchers, foreshadowing increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees reaching supervisory and management levels in the Australian workforce. At the same time, concerns had been raised about the significant number of withdrawals by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from traditional management courses on the basis of their perceived irrelevance. The Journal of Management Education in 2011 dedicated an issue exclusively to this topic, suggesting it needed urgent attention. A qualitative research approach was chosen, utilising Dialogic Exchange, the only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian model available, coupled with its nearest fit in Western terms, the case study method. The analysis of results relied on ideas from critical theory, narrative analysis and discourse analysis. The focus was placed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander motivations in order to understand both positive and negative influences on the level of academic course completions. The findings supported the literature that identified the key motivations characterizing Aboriginal societies. They include attitudes and beliefs about field dependence and context, holism, the role of dualities, balance and spirituality, the significance of place, collectivism in decision making, reflexivity and identity. The findings identified the need for a bi-cultural approach to management education, confirming the suitability of the “both- ways” approach previously adopted by some institutions. Further, the findings showed that the theoretical frameworks of psychodynamics and social systems underpinning the literature on the topic were able to provide key concepts for the research. The research suggests that while approaches to teaching and learning in management education need to be designed to accommodate the motivations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, there would be substantial benefits if other Australian students gained an understanding of how the cultural values and beliefs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians underpin their approaches to management. In the longer term, this could have relevance for the theory and practice of management for Australia as a whole. A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S As an educational experience, I found this PhD research to be second to none. Working with such dedicated mentors as my supervisors, Adjunct Professor Geoffrey Bamberry and Dr Pamela Lockhart, allowed me to pursue my goals with consistent enthusiasm and the necessary encouragement to deal with any setbacks I encountered. The combination of Charles Sturt University Library and Australia Post produced a standard of service that could be a benchmark for speed and reliability in backing up distance education candidates. Seminar meetings at Wagga Wagga and Bathurst were well managed and enabled broader contact with post-graduate colleagues and university staff. During my visits to the Bathurst campus I was additionally fortunate to receive support and inspiration from Dr Peter and Sandra Lynch of Kelso. Closer to home, I was made welcome almost daily by Patrick and Alice, franchisees of Donut King, Marrickville Metro, who provided facilities for reading, writing and engagement with Aboriginal customers. My research enabled me to spend many hours yarning with the Aboriginal participants enabling my study to be undertaken. This was the experience of a lifetime, as I was privileged to listen and learn about Aboriginal perceptions of the impacts of Australian majority culture on Aboriginal lives and motivations in suburban Sydney. This work is limited to management education, but it is clear that knowledge and understanding of Australian aboriginality needs the attention of many disciplines and the unqualified good will of all Australians. Table of Contents Glossary of main terms …............................................................................................................. 2 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 21 1.2 The key research question .................................................................................................................. 23 1.3 Background to the research …………………………....……………………………..……….……………..23 1.4 Justification for the research ................................................................................................................25 1.5 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 32 1.6 Chapters structure and outlines ...........................................................................................................37 1.7 Delimitations of scope and key assumptions ..................................................................................... 46 1.8 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 48 Chapter 2 Literature review 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 51 2.1.1 Research aim and dimensions ................................................................................................. 52 2.1.2 Locating the research area in its antecedent disciplines ......................................................... 54 2.1.3 Theoretical and research environments which give rise to perceived lack of relevance .........57 2.1.4 Why social systems, psychodynamic, and systems psychodynamic theories? ........................60 2.2 The origins of motivations and culture in neuroscience ................................................................... 66 2.2.1 Impacts of Western, left hemisphere dominance on management education ........................ 66 2.2.2 Neural effects of field and emotions on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management education ..................................................................................................................................70 2.2.3 Cultural history and geography as attributive to current misunderstandings ............................72 2.2.4 Connecting Aboriginal motivations and pedagogy.....................................................................75 2.3 Motivational elements in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management education ..........................................................................................................................................76 2.3.1 Motivations as key theoretical underpinnings to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management education ........................................................................................................... 77 2.3.2 Convergence of disciplines and theories - social, personal, natural sciences and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ontology .........................................................................82 2.3.3 How field-dependence and context influence motivations, cultural values and management styles ............................................................................................................85 2.3.4 Holism as a primary motivator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management students ................................................................................................................................... 89 2.3.5 Prominence of dualities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management motivation .................................................................................................................................93 2.3.6 Balance as a fundamental element of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management motivation ..................................................................................................................................95 2.3.7 Spirituality - an all-encompassing motivation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management education ….........................................................................................................98 2.3.8 The status of place as a foundation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management motivation ................................................................................................................................102 2.3.9 Poverty – an all-encompassing demotivation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education.…….................................................................................................……….………..106