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Methodologies for Conducting Academic Business Research with Indigenous Communities in Australia

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Managing the Post-Colony: Voices from Aotearoa, Australia and The Pacific

Part of the book series: Managing the Post-Colony ((MAPOCO))

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Abstract

In this chapter we report on the Indigenous research methodological approaches used in a study we conducted. Our research explored the needs and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous small business owners. We describe the realisation that participatory action research was not a suitable methodological approach, despite it being recommended to the team. Using Indigenous Ways of Being, Knowing and Doing, we adopted an Indigenous research methodological approach that focused on the 5Rs—relationships, relevance, respect, responsibility and reciprocity. After conducting 56 interviews with small business owners and stakeholders across Australia, we recommend that research that is not truly participatory should not try to bolt on a methodological approach that has the potential to be forced. We emphasise the need for methodological approaches that are guided by relational accountability. Insights into the experiences of the authors are designed to be informative for other researchers conducting qualitative research. Findings from this research may be of interest to researchers and policy-makers working with Indigenous small business owners.

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Acknowledgement of Funding

We would like to acknowledge the funding we received from the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Indigenous (IN180100052) scheme. Our funded grant is titled: Empowering Indigenous Businesses through Improved Financial Literacy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Business School, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

    Kerry Bodle

  2. School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

    Lorelle Frazer

  3. Office of the Deputy-Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Levon Blue

  4. Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia

    Douglas Hunt & Mark Brimble

  5. Department of Marketing, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia

    Scott Weaven

Authors
  1. Kerry Bodle
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  2. Lorelle Frazer
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  3. Levon Blue
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  4. Douglas Hunt
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  5. Mark Brimble
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  6. Scott Weaven
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerry Bodle .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Gavin Jack

  2. Department of Management and Marketing, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Michelle Evans

  3. He Manga Tauhokoko, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland Business School, Auckland, New Zealand

    Billie Lythberg

  4. Te Raupapa Waikato Management School, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand

    Jason Mika

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Bodle, K., Frazer, L., Blue, L., Hunt, D., Brimble, M., Weaven, S. (2024). Methodologies for Conducting Academic Business Research with Indigenous Communities in Australia. In: Jack, G., Evans, M., Lythberg, B., Mika, J. (eds) Managing the Post-Colony: Voices from Aotearoa, Australia and The Pacific. Managing the Post-Colony. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0319-7_13

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