Overcoming challenges faced by pale-skinned Aboriginal men on mainstream Western boards

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Little is known about the knowledge, experience, and insights of pale-skinned Aboriginal men on executive and management boards. This research aimed to draw on these experiences to propose alternative approaches to boardroom practice. A Participatory Action Research approach involving four pale-skinned Aboriginal men with board experience generated themes of connection, shared and distributed leadership , and yarning as foundational guiding principles for influencing the culture of boardroom operations potentially allowing greater connection to the community it serves. These guiding principles have been utilised by First Nations people for centuries, however, are not recognised or validated within the dominant mainstream boardroom environment. A conceptual model for principle-based decision-making was developed to assist with the operation of boardrooms. Elements of the model include principles, the law and technical aspects that are underpinned by respect which influences the decision-making process.