3: Harnessing Native American Talent and Facilitating Contributions At Work

Although Native Americans contribute a wealth of distinct backgrounds, cultural values, and skills that can prove valuable to organizations in various ways, they are often marginalized and overlooked within organizations. We contend Native Americans can add a unique and valuable dimension to organizational dynamics. As such, this paper seeks to shed light on practices that organizations may apply to engage Native American employees and cultivate their contributions as employees and managers in the workforce. As such, the primary focus of this paper revolves around employing the Resource-Based View framework to explore the distinctive ways in which Native American employees can significantly enhance organizational competitiveness. Drawing upon research, we delve into the intrinsic values, skills, and practices that uniquely characterize this group. This exploration sets the foundation for understanding the diverse strengths Native American employees may bring to the table. Moving forward, our attention shifts toward delineating actionable steps that organizations can undertake to harness and optimize the full spectrum of contributions from Native American employees, thus creating a more inclusive, dynamic, and ultimately competitive organizational environment.