Chapter Four Culture Clash: Can Corporate And Latino Cultures Be .

Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career Successstudy conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center in 20023 showshow prevalent this feeling is in the Latino community: 53 percent of Latinos in the U.S. agreed that it doesn’t do any goodto plan for the future because one has no control over it. Patricia Diaz Dennis, explains a behavioral outcome of this si Diosquiere passivity: “Many of us, rather than volunteering to takeon a new assignment or role, instead wait to be invited.”Cari Dominguez, former Bank of America executive and former chair of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission, explainshow this difference can play out for a good number of Latinoswanting to climb the career ladder:While Anglo-Americans may believe that one candominate the environment and external circumstances, Latinos often believe that it is not up to us,that things may be out of our hands, out of our control. This can lead to behaviors embedded in our different cultural consciousness such as “toot your ownhorn” versus “humbly wait to be noticed.” Many ofus Latinos have a hard time tooting our own horns,but it is a behavior that is necessary to get ahead incorporate America. Instead we hold on tightly to lessons from mamá to not be proud, not call attentionto our accomplishments, but instead allow others topoint them out. So as we look at this cultural gap, weneed to realize that we can’t be culturally bound andwait for somebody to do something on our behalf. Weneed to do a better job of marketing ourselves andtouting our accomplishments.358Generational Differences. (2004, March). Retrieved from ites/7/2011/10/13.pdf

Culture Clash: Can Corporate Cultures and Latino Cultures Be Reconciled?In our research sample, we did notice that there was also a gender dimension to this cultural dynamic. While both Latinos andLatinas wrestled with this similar upbringing acculturation, it wasclearly more deeply rooted and, therefore, more of an articulatedstruggle, for the women. For example, Lisa Garcia Quiroz, seniorvice president, cultural investments for Time Warner, struggledwith the religious aspect of our culture. She explains:I think that the disadvantage, and I hate to call it a disadvantage, in our culture is that we value humility soit’s not in our DNA to brag about ourselves. It’s a veryCatholic thing, right? The meek shall inherit the earth.Former vice president of General Motors Grace Lieblein layerson another behavior that stems from this lack of competitiveness:I am one of the least competitive people I know. It’sprobably to a detriment, frankly, but it’s just not in me.Life to me is “What you see is what you get,” and I’djust as soon help the person who’s next to me than pushhim off the ladder. Sometimes that worked, and sometimes I probably didn’t get as far as I could’ve if I’dbeen more competitive. But I’d rather be myself thanbe somebody else and get higher in the organization.Corporate American culture on the other hand, is premised onleaders, managers, and employees taking more entrepreneurial initiative within the corporate structure, whether providinginnovative ideas or taking charge of their own careers.The rallying cry of “You own your own career,” while making complete sense as a default belief for the majority culture,feels foreign to many Latinos and can actually be disengagingand even marginalizing. Many Latinos are reluctant to ask forthings they want and need.59

Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career SuccessThe idea of “owning your career” may be one of the rules of theroad that is difficult to buck if Latinos seek to succeed in corporateAmerica. Many of the executives we interviewed had to learn tospeak up for themselves, and doing so is one of the first principlesthese leaders teach other up-and-coming Latinos. We further explainhow they accomplished this speaking up for themselves in chapter 6where sample leaders explain how to see ambition as honorable.Ascribing Status: Hierarchy versus EgalitarianismLatinos can tend to be hierarchical compared to the egalitarian European-American approach. This tendency can cutboth ways in terms of emerging Latino talent either engagingmore senior leaders too deferentially without sufficient assertiveness, or Latino leaders acting with too much forcefulnessas they gain positional authority.The historical, religious, and anthropological roots of these twovery different views of status go back to Reformation times inthe Middle Ages and Colonial times in both British and Spanishcolonies in the Americas.Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation was a direct challenge to the Roman Catholic Church’s interpretation of divinehierarchy, which vested the priests with the powers of beingthe only ones through which the faithful could connect withGod. Luther’s theology of the “priesthood of all believers” wasenabled by the disruptive technology of that time, the printingpress, which put German language Bibles in the hands of thelaity, thereby democratizing access to God.As Catholicism made its way south and Protestantism north,the Spanish colonies were conquered by soldiers under a fulltop-down military structure. In contrast, the British colonies60

Culture Clash: Can Corporate Cultures and Latino Cultures Be Reconciled?were settled by families fleeing religious persecution. Whilethe racism of the British settlers resulted in near-annihilationof the indigenous people—as it also did at the hands of theracist Spanish conquistadores—their in-group values played outvery differently when it came to more Protestant egalitarianprocesses and structures. In contrast, the Spanish colonizersengrained their military and Catholic-influenced hierarchicalstructures into most aspects of Latin American society.Fast-forward to the twenty-first century and these long-agolegacies still have residual effects. Many Latinos grow up instrong matriarchies or patriarchies. Given the deeply heldvalue of family and its structures that are inherently hierarchical, they tend to be more deferential to authority. This leads tothe more prevalent passivity among Latino talent. This hierarchical view of status reinforces the belief among Latinosthat not much is in their control, which in turn leads towardsa sense of having less self-agency—the ability to give voice toone’s aspirations, hopes, and needs.The management practice of paternalism has a long-establishedhistory in Latin America. A key feature of paternalism is a setof benevolent management practices where the patrón (boss)provides for employees’ welfare. Paternalism has been a strongforce with workers because it is derived from traditional, gendered family roles, and established Catholic precepts that castemployers as caretakers of an employee family. The employment equation then is that employees simply have to work hardand the patrón will take care of them. Some Latinos still subscribe to the paternalism phenomenon and feel there is no needto call attention to their contributions or apply for promotionsbecause their boss will automatically reward them for theirhard work.61

Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career SuccessIdentity: I versus WeAs much as it may sound like a cliché, familia is exceptionallyimportant to Latinos, but it is profoundly true and companieschronically neglect this reality.This all-in enveloping of familia in the Latino ethos comes froma sense of communal identity—who I am is defined by whom Ibelong to versus the more European-American interpretation ofindividualistic identity—who I am is defined by my self.This too is why Latinos tend to be more group oriented when itcomes to workplace dynamics. Carmen Matos, a senior consultant at NBCUniversal, put it this way in a recent conversationwith one of the authors:We Latinos tend to be very relationship-driven, andstrong relationships unleash our best selves. When wehave that sense of community at work, our talent andhearts find a home. This means that quality of timespent with coworkers in the workplace versus solelywhat is accomplished can take on added significance.As an example, a 9 a.m. meeting in corporate America may start with a quick hello and grabbing coffee aspeople rush to pen portfolios and get down to business.In Miami or Mexico City it will often start with warmhellos and an extended recap of weekend and familyevents. Then we get down to business. At the end of theday, much will have been accomplished in both worlds,but the Latino employee feels like he or she is working with colleagues who could be considered friendsand extended family members. It makes for a sense ofbelonging at the workplace, which feeds engagement.62

Culture Clash: Can Corporate Cultures and Latino Cultures Be Reconciled?She adds that there was a time when this relaxed dynamic wasmore prevalent and valued in the U.S. before the waves of “downsizing” and “rightsizing” made the corporate picnic obsolete:Before that time it was easier for employees to feellike they mattered and were more than a number.But now the workplace has unfortunately becomemore transactional and more focused solely on getting the work done. A growing number of workersfeel they must leave their hearts at home or in theparking lot. This sacrifice of culture in the workplacehas been difficult for many. And it has been acutelypainful for communal-oriented Latino talent.The high value of community is not just about work-relatedget-togethers. It shows up in how many Latinos would preferthat workplace performance would be more about group resultsthan individual results. There is a high sense of importance inachieving group goals, a desire to have equal distribution ofregard within a group, and a strong sense of loyalty to a group.This, of course, collides with the more prevalent corporateAmerica best practice of setting achievement and accomplishment goals and rewards at an individual level.Community also goes a long way in explaining the Latinotendency to highly value networking, not just for socializingpurposes, but to actually get things done. Like African-Americans,who are also more communal, Latinos (compared to EuropeanAmericans) overemphasize attending work- and industry-relatedevents. It is through the relationships made and nurtured at theseevents that business and new career opportunities get transacted.This kind of networking is, of course, common among EuropeanAmericans, but it goes into hyperdrive with many Latinos.63

Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career SuccessThis communal “we” preference also affects how answers toclassic interview questions can trigger unconscious biases thatcan be detrimental to Latino job candidates. Picture this common interview dynamic between an individualistic hiring manger and a communal Latino:Hiring manager: “Tell me of a time you led a team tosuccess.”Candidate: “What my team did was . What my colleaguescontributed was What we collaborated on was ”Back in the debrief session, the hiring manager and recruiterlook at each other and say:“I don’t think that person did anything. I think he rodethe backs of everyone else.”Unconscious bias referee: “Really? Are you sure? Maybeit’s that very kind of collaborative competency and valuethat our organization needs more of.”If corporate America can be more adaptive in catering to Latinocommunal values, it could benefit directly from more of this ethosin its midst. The American workplace’s worship of the individual can be fraught with an internal competitiveness and reducedspirit of collaboration that can hinder optimizing performance.Today’s complex, hyper-interconnected, and volatile worlddemands fewer individualist superheroes and more groupcollaborators across various platforms, countries, disciplines,skills, and backgrounds. Resolving this cultural clash doesnot necessarily mean an either/or choice, but perhaps a both/and approach. Bicultural Hispanic Americans often value bothindividual recognition coupled with rewards based on theaccomplishments of their teams.64

Culture Clash: Can Corporate Cultures and Latino Cultures Be Reconciled?Yvonne Garcia, senior vice president at State Street Corporation, thinks one reason that Latina initiatives have been moreprevalent of late is because companies want to build culturesthat are more collaborative. She has used this insight to successfully lead Latina initiatives across the country through herinvolvement with ALPFA. She explains:From an organizational perspective, companies arestarting to realize the value that women in general,and Latinas in particular, bring to the workplace: astronger sense of collaboration to get things done,determination, perseverance—these are all traits thatare highly correlated to our culture.A lot of studies have been done by Google and others thatshow when teams are led by women, or when there werewomen on the team, they tend to be more successful—fora variety of reasons. Women tend to embrace the wholeteam spirit more, the whole collective approach. Womenaren’t afraid to ask questions. So I think that companiesare starting to see that the data points to high-performing teams are highly correlated with women, andin particular Latinas, being part of that.Conversely, this sense of familia can become a barrier to Latinocareer advancement when the ties that bind hold them backfrom seizing opportunities that require them to move fartheraway from their families and communities of origin.In the focus group we conducted in Los Angeles, several ofthe Latinas clearly stated they would turn down a job opportunity, even if it meant a greater title and money, if they hadto move away from their families. One young Latina focusgroup participant said, “I’m very close to my family. That’s65

Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career Successmy support system. That’s why I say no to relocation opportunities.” Another young Latina added, “I would not relocate, because of my family and because I love California.”Another participant in the Chicago focus group shared howwrenching it was for her parents when she chose to move froma suburb in Chicago to downtown—just ten miles away. Aftershe took that step, she has moved no further, even when opportunities have presented themselves.All the executives we interviewed who faced the choice to staynear family or move for greater opportunities did choose thelatter. George Herrera, CEO of the Herrera-Cristina Groupsees it this way:In the Latino community, we’re very culturally attunedto each other, we love family, and we want to be in thefamily. But if you’re born and raised in Miami and thatopportunity is in Boise, Idaho, you’d better go.Comcast Corporate SVP Myrna Soto adds:I grew up in and spent the majority of my early adulthood in South Florida as a typical Hispanic familymember where we are very enmeshed, we all live closeto each other, and we don’t necessarily move too farfrom the nest. But when the opportunity presenteditself, I broke that chain by moving away.Darren Rebelez, IHOP president, explains:It’s not a matter of whether it’s right or wrong. That’salways going to be a personal decision since sometimes,depending on what’s going on with the family, it’s moreimportant to stay than to pack up and pursue another66

Culture Clash: Can Corporate Cultures and Latino Cultures Be Reconciled?career opportunity. But you’ve got to recognize that therest of the world is going to move on regardless of thedecision you make.Process: Follow the Rules versus Go with the FlowEuropean-Americans tend to seek reassurance in the rules,while Latinos can tend to seek redress in the particulars ofeach circumstance. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner wereintrigued by their research that showed how multinationalswith strong corporate cultures, such as IBM, still struggled withnational differences preventing their being able to work as effectively as they wanted. To better understand what was going on,they created an extensive survey with a series of “What wouldyou do?” scenarios.Here’s one: You’re riding in a car with a friend who you knowis speeding. Suddenly, the flashing lights of a police car appearin the rearview mirror. After pulling the car over, the officer asksyou, “Was your friend speeding?” What would you answer? Theanswer depended on one’s nationality. Ninety-seven percent ofSwiss would say, “Yes, my friend was speeding,” but only 32 percent of Venezuelans would give the same answer. What’s goingon?The authors had come up with seven cultural dimensions toexplain the different ways people from various cultures wouldapproach the same scenarios. In the case of the speeding car,they developed a construct that identified what individual cultures determine is fair. Some cultures believe that rules apply toeveryone equally. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner referredto them as Universalist. Other cultures determine what is fairbased on the context of

Culture Clash: Can Corporate Cultures and Latino Cultures Be Reconciled? "La preservación de la propia cultura no requiere desprecio o falta de respeto hacia otras culturas." Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures. —César Chávez, American labor activist H