Tag: ldrs591

OL – Scholary Inquiry

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Unit 8 Podcast

For this proposed action research study, I would like to share with you the concerns of indigenous procurement policies as they sit today. This is an important issue effecting government, tax payers and thus citizens of British Columbia and First Nations.

Please note, for this podcast, I am experiencing technical difficulties. Please listen on the “Anchor” app and search for “The state of indigenous procurement in BC”. In the meantime I will continue to search for a solution to embed the podcast on this blog.  Or please copy and paste the following but remove the quotations…

“https://anchor.fm/kwantlen-brenda/episodes/The-state-of-indigenous-procurement-in-British-Columbia-e2hprl”

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Unit 5 – response to post

Question from awalkinthewoods: Out of curiosity, and this may seem like a silly question, but how much do you think your current position and your background education play into your preference for either Quantitative or Qualitative research? Do you think either of those things even play a role or is it solely dependent upon what you are currently trying to achieve (either an explanation or further exploration)?

I think both our work experiences and personal experiences can play a role in the preference for quantitative or qualitative research. Naturally we prefer things we can understand and make sense of. I also believe there is a perception that quantitative data is more credible and scientific in nature and so biases can exist between one or the other. In considering a quantitative or qualitative research reports however, I believe that either or can be credible in nature and differ in quality. In my own work context I can see value in either a quantitative or qualitative approach, but sometimes it comes down to what would be the best way to collect the information to draw a conclusion. There are many factors to consider such as availability of participants, quality of participants or how much time is available to collect the research. Also as we’ve learned, sometimes the research question will drive whether a quantitative or qualitative research report is more suitable.

Another factor comes to mind in terms of a preference is dependent on what current information is available. For example my child has a disability and currently there is a great deal of scientific research with quantitative data to support intervention. That said there is also new and emerging research literature that is available and should not be ignored. Having said that it comes down to budget and how I want to spend my hard earned dollars. In the case of my child I’ve elected to follow the quantitative research literature that is available that provides the most amount of evidence in supporting my child’s ability to improve. Perhaps if I had an unlimited budget I might consider looking at some of the early qualitative research papers that are pointing toward some new types of therapy.

I guess in the end whether it be a qualitative or quantitative research preference, our life experiences, hunches as to the outcomes, time restraints, how far we want to delve into the research, how much current literature on the topic is available, whom the authors are and how driven we are to seek an answer will create biases on whether we prefer qualitative or quantitative research. Hopefully after completing this course we will learn that they both have their value in furthering science based research.

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Unit 3 – Comments on a walk in the woods

I enjoyed reading the blog from awalkinthewoods, Unit 3 assignment. First I’d like to comment that I like all of the humble responses from all of the students regarding their APA writing experience. The part that I found most interesting about awalkinthewoods post is the experience of attending a speaker event where the speaker provided references for speaking points. We’ve learned about APA writing but I cannot recall reading about speaking engagements. In any case I do think it it is courteous and professional to give credit in a speaking engagement and can add credibility to the speech. There are some APA rules I can see that might have some relevance such as the section on Permission to Quote, Reprint, or Adapt. “You may need written permission from the owner or copyrighted work if you include lengthy quotations or if you include reprinted or adapted tables or figures” (American Psychological Association 2010). Perhaps a little excessive for some audiences however if presented at a major conference where there are a number of subject matter experts its best to air on the side of caution. Thank you awalkinthewoods for sharing this important lesson.

References

American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

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Week 2 reply to student post

Would you prioritize research about first nations people done by local authors over the same topic done by outside researchers? What are the advantages and inconveniences of either choice? By E. depressing

I feel qualified to answer the question regarding researching first nations by local authors or by outside researchers. I am a First Nations person and work for my community for the economic arm as described in my opening blog. I will do my best to share my thoughts based on my experience.

Advantages of a local authors:

  • First nations pass down traditional knowledge orally and are careful to share information only with those that are most trusted. There are many examples of local authors that have long standing relationships with indigenous communities and are trusted to share the information respectfully. An example of this type relationship is often with archaeologists. Many communities will work with an archaeologist for their entire career as they are trusted with traditional knowledge and have the best interest of the nation at heart. The archaeologist will also often assist with supporting rights and title and so have quite a bit of experience in conducting research on behalf of a nation.
  • There are some quality local resources that are great sources. A good place to start is call a local indigenous community and ask if their lands department can recommend some local, credible books. Indigenous lands departments can be a great help, in particular in tracking down older publications.

Inconveniences:

  • The amount indigenous subject matter experts might limit your availability of quality research.
  • In thinking about rights and title you need to be careful in examining your sources. There is a great deal of misinformation out there that stems from nations wanting to strengthen their rights and title claims. By utilizing an outside researcher you will likely get a more objective viewpoint.
  • Also be careful that you examine the sources of the researchers. As an indigenous person I often get frustrated with the references and citations even from some of the most qualified researchers. I’ve seen history change because of propaganda of individuals further their rights and title.
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Unit 3 Blog

Part 1

My previous experience with APA writing is very limited, although I do require writing a number of business documents in my current employment. I would describe myself as an amateur with lots to learn.

The importance of learning the APA scholarly style of writing in the context of my leadership in an indigenous business include:

  • It’s important that former knowledge be respected and acknowledged by giving credit to the author or research contributor/participant. This knowledge in an indigenous setting can have impacts on indigenous rights and title. For example when putting together traditional knowledge, references that include former academic publications is often used as evidence.
  • Using the APA style encourages one to take an objective approach to any given topic. As a leader in my organization decisions can impact employees and community. These decisions can be detrimental if not carefully thought through.
  • APA serves as a good reminder that the answers to some questions require time and thorough investigation. By presenting a clear and precise analysis, often the right decision or direction will reveal itself.
  • In a leadership role one will be subjected to judgement based on their writing skills. Learning to keep to the point and be concise in writing is essential.
  • A leader can be required to write extensive reports, tenders or other documents. These documents can be shared with employees or with shareholders and again instills a level of confidence if properly formatted.
  • Often leaders are responsible for company liability and do not want to find themselves or the company they are working for in a plagiarism legal problem. By following APA guidelines this can be avoided.
  • My organization has been working with scholarly people in putting a traditional knowledge document together which is intended to be published in the near future. I look forward to now to going back to this document and determine if APA formatting was followed.

Part 2

Areas of weaknesses in my writing is knowing the correct APA formatting style intuitively. I believe this will come with time, however to be accurate I will utilize the tools available to ensure it is correctly formatted. Tools such as online resources, textbooks and APA example papers. Another area I would like to learn more about is in conducting research. This is not an area that is a requirement of my current position and so throughout this course I’m looking forward to increasing skills and competency of APA style research.

APA style writing is extensive and covers many professions where research can get quite complex. An example of this I would believe to be in a clinic trial setting in monitoring human behavior. While interesting, it is not an area I can see will benefit me, in my current career path. Are there any books that are specific to APA style writing for business that can be recommended and or utilized as a quick reference document?

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Unit 2 – Blog

Unit 2 Blog

Part A

While considering the research question “What is the best model of indigenous economic development that will help build a healthy and thriving community” the following challenges were identified:

  • Currently there is little information available to First Nations on what are best practices when it comes to creating economic development entities in Canada. Some entities are focused on creating economic wealth through rights and title while others are focused on capacity building or both. Within Canada many First Nations are also only now, starting up economic development companies and so scarce sources are available thus explaining why little research has been conducted.
  • While researching, it was necessary to broaden the search to include “tribal indigenous economic development” as in the U.S.A., the word tribal is more widely used. Also due to a government decision allowing indigenous communities in the U.S.A to open gaming on reserves, many nations have been participating in successful businesses ventures for a longer period of time. This has resulted in more sources of scholarly information published in the U.S.A.
  • While searching some specific journal and article sources, specifically targeting indigenous topics, a number of indigenous driven organizations were found. An example is the UCLA American Indian studies center which may prove to be an excellent source of information in the future.

Part B

The following is an evaluation of a journal called “Realizing the Potential: Global Perspectives on Indigenous Economic Development” related to the targeted research question in Part A:

Author – The Author is Canada’s public policy forum. The public policy forum is a non-profit indicating that its purpose is to improve the quality of government through dialogue. In evaluating any one specific author, it was not indicated and so it required further investigation as to whom the forum was made up of. The forum participant names listed appeared to be mainly from industry as opposed to being identified as indigenous participants. That said each participant was not identified as indigenous or non-indigenous specifically. It was from company or job titles only that it could be surmised that a participant was indigenous. For example one participant was listed as a Chief.

Currency – The article was published in May of 2014 and so moderately current.

Purpose – Not clearly stated however upon reading the information it became apparent that the purpose was to educate businesses wanting to forward projects in the traditional territories of First nations, by providing guidance on approaches. Also it was intended to encourage businesses, in particular in the resource sector, to establish joint ventures and or support other indigenous economic development.

Publication type/process – The publication I would classify as an article and not scholarly in nature. The publication was the outcome of a public forum and based on the opinions of the forum participants. The article was not peer reviewed.

Biases – Project partners included oil and gas companies as well as resource extraction companies. Listed also as forum participants included representatives from these groups. The title of the article is perhaps misleading as it might lead one to believe that the ideas are presented as options that might be of value to indigenous communities involved in economic development. However given the lack of indigenous participants and the project partners core business activities, this article does not factor or consider a comprehensive indigenous perspective.

References

Realizing the potential : global perspectives indigneous on economic development. (2014). Ottawa, Ontario : Canada’s Public Policy Forum, [2014]. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat05965a&AN=alc.1353928&site=eds-live

Part C

In considering what sources of information are needed to conduct research on the question, “What is the best model of indigenous economic development that will help build a healthy and thriving community”, it is apparent that there is minimal scholarly information available on the topic. This has required creativity in searching for key words as well as broadening the search to worldwide sources such as Australia and the United States. The research will to require local surveys and interviews from local indigenous communities as well as industry professionals. The web is also a source for consideration as legislation requires indigenous communities to post audited financial statements. These financial statements will not necessarily answer research questions specifically but will point to indigenous communities that can be targeted for survey’s or interviews.

In consideration of a research question where there is difficulty in locating scholarly sources, does one give up on a topic one is passionate about and is seeking answers for, or is it better to get excited about the topic and take on the challenge?

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Unit 2, Assignment 2 Research Interest

Assignment 2 – Clarifying your research interest

After completing my concept map, I came up with the following research questions:

  1. How does economic development help indigenous people?
    2. How does economic development help indigenous people in capacity building?
    3. How does economic development build healthy indigenous communities?
    4. What is the best model of indigenous economic development that will help build a healthy and thriving community?

The research question I feel strongest about is question number 4. My justification for this question being the strongest, is because while there is much information out there about why economic development is important to First Nations, there are limited resource materials available that speak about best practices and or best models. There are many questions that come to mind in this research:

  1. Most models are heavily interwoven into the decisions set out by indigenous governments but are these always the best business models?
  2. Do community elections impact their decision making?
  3. Are they building economic wealth only or are they also effecting change in their communities by creating employment opportunities?
  4. How are indigenous communities leveraging rights and title to support economic growth?
  5. Urban indigenous communities have the advantage of leveraging their lands however how to indigenous communities outside of urban centers leverage the opportunity to get involved with economic development?
  6. Is it indigenous people making decisions on economic development for their communities or is it non-indigenous people and does this matter?
  7. What unique ways are communities building capacity?
  8. What does success look like?
  9. How long does it take to build a successful model?
  10. How did any given community get started?
  11. Are there any lessons learned?
  12. How has the market procurement policies impacted the growth of indigenous business?
  13. What capital was utilized to get started in economic development?
  14. Is the nation still supporting the economic development entity? If not, when did the financial support stop?

I anticipate the need to research answers by coming up with a questionnaire for the following:

  1. Literature review – this will be difficult as recently I have been speaking with a researcher from Simon Fraser University whom shared that there are limited studies available. So limited that there is only one well known article which is from Harvard however is not necessarily applicable to a Canadian Indigenous community
  2. Speak to indigenous people – inquire how economic development has helped them personally as well as how it has impacted their community.
  3. Speak with other indigenous economic development companies (urban, suburban and remote) to review various models – Urban/Suburban might include – Seyem’ Qwantlen, Osoyoos, Musqueam, Tsawwassen, Metis, Squamish, etc. Remote – Komox, Lytton, Merritt.
  4. Professional Institutions such as the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, BC economic development association, New Relationship Trust.
  5. Speak with industry professionals doing business with First Nations such as banks, construction companies, BC Hydro, Law Firms. What are these institutions seeing as successful models?
  6. Interview elders
  7. Interview government representatives that put out tenders with priority to indigenous people, or representatives that manage grants to help indigenous people.

 

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LDRS 591 – Unit 1 Blog

Part 1

My name is Brenda Fernie and I am currently employed by the Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group as the Vice-President. Seyem’ Qwantlen is responsible for lands, resources and economic development on behalf of the Kwantlen First Nation. On the economic development side I regularly informally research things like new software systems, industry trends and best leadership practices. On the lands and resources side it is extremely important that the research receives a scholarly lens, and that it remains at arm’s length. The reason for the scholarly review on the lands and resources side of the company is because the research is utilized for rights and title and needs to stand up in a court of law. Research related to rights and title includes a review of archaeological evidence, a review of historical journals, historical maps, ethnographical review and elder’s interviews to collaborate the evidence. This research is conducted in collaboration with universities and professionals of various fields. My company is the holder of this information and recently has started a Geographical Information System data base as a place holder of this important information. The key difference in every day research versus scholarly research is that the chance of scholarly research being disputed is unlikely while everyday research can often be untested or the outcome definitively unknown.

Part 2

One decision I recently made as a leader, was to invest in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool. The tool meant a sizeable investment in the company and so I evaluated the cost versus risk with the status quo. The following is a list of factors that went into my decision making:

  • Financial information was difficult to extract on the current system. Information that was available was often months behind.
  • QuickBooks was not meant for a multi-company. It meant finance staff had to close and open up a new page as each company did not interface with one another.
  • Management staff were frustrated about not having financial information. At times I felt like we were hiding something however this was not the case. The information was not available.
  • I felt the need to fix the problem or at least demonstrate to staff that we were doing something about it.
  • We hired a consultant to conduct a review of our business and recommend an ERP system that would work for our business. The consultant confirmed that Quickbooks was not adequate and that a better fit would be Microsoft Dynamics.
  • The company did not have HR software which I felt was a risk. I also knew this was not best practice for a company our size. While there were many options for HR software I knew Microsoft Dynamics had the ability to integrate Finance with HR which would save me on administrative staff and reduce the risk of errors from duplicate entries.
  • The company had invested in temporary solutions, all of which did not communicate with one another such as a Timeclock software, scheduling software, dispatching software, point of sale software, etc. All of which did not communicate with one another.
  • My past employment influenced my decision to invest in an ERP system. I came from a large organization that was accountable to the public and so the need for up to date financial information was integral. I felt the same was true in being accountable to our own government at Kwantlen.
  • I discussed with many of the impacted staff and they also felt not have an ERP system was one of our biggest organizational risks. We had to find a solution before growing any larger.
  • In being accountable to the community I did not like being put in a position of not having data that was evidence based, particularly when it came to budgets. I wanted real information that would add to my credibility.
  • I often had a hunch in some areas where I saw there could see improvements within different parts of the business, but without the financial information to back it up it was really just my opinion. I wanted financial data so that Managers could concentrate in areas of their business that required their attention and so that I too could provide feedback to Manager’s on where to focus their attention.
  • Finances impacted my decision as the cost of an ERP system meant a substantial investment. However in evaluating the upfront cost of the ERP versus the cost to add additional staff I was able to justify that in the end the savings would come from improvements within the business.

Scholarly inquiry applies to everyday decision making as we react to circumstances based on past experiences and what works. There are times as leaders we might make a decision based on what has worked in the past however as the world evolves our information may suddenly be out of date. At this point as leaders it is important that we experiment with new ways and form new conclusions on what works. This starts with asking an objective question. For example a few years back I had considered how I as an employee was motivated to not miss work. I knew that I wanted to move up in the company and if I kept my record clean I could do many things. I therefore as a supervisor took it upon myself to meet more regularly with employees and come up with a career plan for them. I was motivated partly because I dreaded doing attendance interviews but also because I felt like we as supervisors did not talk to our employees until their attendance was actually a problem. I wanted to keep them on track before they became a problem. I had no evidence my theory would work however in years later, evaluating the data it did have an impact. My assigned group attendance records, in comparison to others, was significantly less. Many of my direct reports as well went on to become supervisors, trainers or moved into other positions within the organization.

Part 3

The authors of Understanding scientifically based research: A mandate or decision making tool? (Trybus, 2007) and Evidence-based management (Pfifer & Sutton, 2006) conceptualize evidence-based decisions, as using science based research in decision making. Science based research is research that is soundly conducted and uses a systematic approach with rigorous data to support the findings.

Science based evidence is research that is data driven, can be either quantitative or qualitative, references previous studies if available. Evidence can also include the integration of professional wisdom. Professional wisdom may come from companies running trial programs, pilot studies and small experiments.

Evidence-based decision-making is important in leadership as leaders are often challenged with finding ways for continuous improvement. Particularly with the advancements in technology, companies are needing to be on the lookout for ways to increase productivity, increase its competitiveness and their customer base. Making a decision without using evidence based decisions could become costly, cause delays and in some cases result in the closure of the business due to a poor investment decision. The employees of any organization are in trust of the leadership to make the right decision. If the right decision is not made the employees may lose trust and faith in their leadership which ultimately may result in employees leaving the company. While leadership makes decisions they must also share in the logic of their decision. If employees feel the decision has not been well thought out, they may not support the implementation of a new policy or technology. On the contrary if leadership utilizes evidence based decisions making, it may actually aid in the success and or buy in of its employees and in some cases its customers.

In the case of Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group, the responsibilities of departments are quite diverse. With one side of the company dealing with rights and title and the other working in the fast pace environment of economic development it is quite the contrast. I can see at times friction between the two groups as one group of employees relies on a very evidence based research approach while the other is required to make quick decisions daily, based on informal research. I wonder though, how might each group work together and share in their strengths when it comes to how my organization approaches research?

References

Trybus, M. (2007). Understanding scientifically based research: A mandate or decision making tool? Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 73(4), 5-8.

Pfeffer, J. & Sutton, R. I. (2006). Evidence-based management. Harvard Business Review

 

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Introduction ldrs591

My name is Brenda Fernie and I am seeking to complete my MA in Business Leadership. I am currently working for my nation, the Kwantlen, located in Fort Langley, BC. My day to day responsibilities involves working for the economic development arm of the nation and my role is the Vice-President. I am most interested in developing my skills as a leader and in serving my community to the best of my abilities.

I live in South Surrey and have been in the area for my entire life. I’m married with two children whom are 7 and 11. The eldest is diagnosed with ASD/OCD and as such I oversee a home based program. In June of 2017 my family was gifted with an ASD dog named Hughey. He has quickly become an important part of my family.

My great, great, great Grandfather was Grand Chief Wattlekanium whom met Simon Fraser’s expedition in present day New Westminster. He moved the Kwantlen people for protection beside the Fort, which was operated by the Hudson’s Bay company. His daughter married a worker of the Fort whom was an American Indian – Chippewa. In addition to my Kwantlen lineage I am also of Musqueam descent. My great, great, great, Grandfather was a Musqueam Chief. His daughter, Mooskum Pooki, also married a worker of the Hudson’s Bay company with the last name Emptage. Emptage was a homesteader and cleared the land that the TWU Langley campus sits on today. These lands stayed in my families hands including up to the time of my late Grandmother. In the fall, the Fort Langley National Historic site hosts the ghost walking tours and the main subject is about my great, great grandfather, William Henry Emptage and his wife, Mooskum Poki (anglasized name – Louisa). It is said that the Fort Langley cemetery is haunted and that William is often seen wandering and looking for Louisa. I’m not sure I believe this as I’ve never seen a ghost myself but it makes for a fun story.

I’m looking forward to collaborating with the other students and in improving my research skills.