Corporate Values of Tribally Owned Companies in Washington State

In this study I examine the corporate values of tribally owned companies in Washington State and compare them with non-native businesses in the same or similar industries. The research objective is to examine the ways in which Washington native businesses integrate native cultural values into their mission and corporate structure. I have developed key words that follow the themes of spiritual/societal, community, and environmental, and I predict that tribally owned companies will include these keywords more frequently than non-tribally owned companies. This integration of cultural values, stated corporate mission, and corporate structure, is an area of potential superior performance compared to alternative models, reflecting the degree to which Washington native businesses are in harmony with, and reflect in their organizational structures and native community values. We will examine how these corporations help native people and preserve their cultural values and beliefs. I also predict that gender diversity is greater in tribally owned companies than in those that are not tribally owned. I predict that the cultural values of Native American tribes in Washington state leads to greater gender diversity within companies owned by Washington state tribes than by non-tribally owned companies