The realm of research into the various aspects of organisations is wide-ranging, offering
any researcher immense freedom to investigate those area(s) which are of particular
interest to him/her. While there are set theoretical parameters for studying
organisations, eg. various theories looking at organisational communication, structure
and networks, the only real limitation lies in the mind of the researcher. That is the
beauty and nature of organisations, they do not have to wholly conform to any set ideal,
rather they have the opportunity to be unique and diverse depending upon the
organisation's purpose.
It seems that most investigations of organisations are one dimensional, ie. reporting on
what actually happens or how efficient processes are or attempting to define aspects of
culture. However, in this thesis a second dimension has been added�intercultural
aspects of communication. Hence, the research evaluates the intersection of the
intercultural communication which exists within an organisation.
For this two dimensional approach, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was chosen. As with most bureaucratic organisations, due to the
size and complexity it is not practicable to look at an entire organisation For this
thesis, a case study of one of ATSIC's twenty-seven regional offices was undertaken.
Details of this follow in the paper; however, the two main reasons for choosing to
complete a case study of ATSIC are 1) because the author is full-time employee with
access to people, facts and inside information that might otherwise not be available and
2) ATSIC is not a typical bureaucracy; rather it is atypical due to its structure and
purpose, which is to further the economic, social and cultural diversity of Aboriginal
people and Torres Strait Islanders. While part of the Commonwealth Government,
ATSIC is founded upon, and is committed to, furthering both intercultural concepts and
the economic status of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. This is
accomplished by ATSIC being the major advisory body to Government; attending
national and international policy forums; raising awareness of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander cultures; and in providing supplementary funding (through both grant
and loan initiatives) which supports other funding that is given to indigenous people or
organisations through Government mainstream programs (health, housing, education,
social welfare etc.).
To further limit the scope of this research, the communication which has been analysed
is that relating to grant administration. As ATSIC plays a major role in providing grant
funding to indigenous people, this area of evaluation is highly important, as it shows
how ATSIC (represented by one regional office) carries out its functions and business:
providing services and assistance to its clients�the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait
Islanders.
The case study includes comments gleaned from both questionnaires and interviews
from staff and managers within the chosen regional office. This also includes views of
indigenous and non-indigenous people as well as views from the elected community
representatives of that region. It is envisaged that by incorporating the views of those
mentioned above, that the data is as complete, valid and reliable as possible As with
any traditional group of people, there are different norms and cultures which permeate
their social and working lives. The information presented in this thesis is based on
views of a non-indigenous person who has collected data from one specific region and
it is not valid to generalise these findings to other regions in Australia.
Communication in ATSIC is highly complex and difficult to explain to those outside
the organisation. A main reason for this is that there are many requirements that both
the Government and the indigenous communities place on ATSIC, and unfortunately
they are often diametrically opposed. This creates quite an ironic and disharmonious
situation for all parties concerned�a bureaucracy versus intercultural perspectives.
These situations are discussed throughout the thesis. It is important for readers to note
that the ideas which are conveyed in this thesis are the author's own and are not
necessarily those of ATSIC, the Government or indigenous people.
This research experience is one which has been extremely beneficial for the author.
While the author's personal views may not be aligned with others, I challenge those
people to read not only this thesis, but other work like it so that they may be in a
position to make their own informed decisions about controversial issues such as
Aboriginal affairs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218937 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Ford, Suzanne, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Professional Communication Studies |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Suzanne Ford |
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