What Latina women face in business, and what tools managers need to maximize this important segment of the workforce.

Latinas in the Workplace highlights the stories of eight exceptional women. It is the third book in the Journeys to Leadership series that features stories about extraordinary women who have found paths to success in male-dominated arenas. Even though each took a different route to success, these women share an overarching, almost implicit, understanding of what they aspired to: the freedom to choose where and how to invest time and energy, to establish professional and personal balance, and enjoy the luxury of defining that balance.Despite their different professional aspirations, their journeys are rooted in similar ground tilled long before they entered the work world—a strong sense of family, influential religious traditions, and formidable ties to their cultural heritage. The eight Latinas showcased in this book – a foundation president, two business CEOs, a doctor, a former college president, a teacher and author, and two school superintendents – grew up with a determination to get educated that was fostered by parents and grandparents. All of them hold advanced degrees. Engrained in each of them is a sense of honor, the need to treat others with respect, and an inner strength—qualities nurtured by family members. While each had to contend with negative forces, whether from within or outside their culture, and drew strength from the experience, they also acknowledge that being able to navigate two cultures, and being bilingual, has given them a unique perspective and two distinct ways of dealing with people. Although Latinos constitute one of the fastest growing segments of our population, these Latina leaders represent a relatively small percentage of women in leadership in the United States. They hope that their stories inspire not only their contemporaries but the next generation of Latinas as well. The women profiled in this book are: Sarita Brown, President, Excelencia in Education; Tina Cordova, President, Queston Construction; Sally Garza Fernandez, President, Fernandez Group; Carmella Franco, Superintendent, Woodland California School District; Christine Johnson, former President, Community College of Denver; Thelma López-Lira, M.D.Darline Robles, Executive Officer for the Los Angeles County Office of Education; Beatriz Salcedo-Strumpf, Author and Instructor at the State University of New York in Oswego.

This hands-on manual provides Latinas with the tools they need to succeed at work by examining some of the societal and cultural obstacles that hinder their progress. Despite being 20 million strong, Latinas represent America's most undervalued human resource. This career guide is the only one of its kind to focus specifically on empowering the working women of the Latina community to embrace success and build skills for workplace advancement. The Latina's Guide to Success in the Workplace explores the complexity of the Hispanic/Latino identity and the impact of this culture on professional mobility. The author asserts that there are five obstacles which Latinas confront within their own belief system: the idea that women do not need an education; the assumption that the needs of men come first; a belief that it is sinful to desire money; the opinion that Latinas should not be ambitious; and the mindset that successful women in the United States lose their femininity. Throughout the book, up-to-date research, case studies, and inspirational interviews offer strategies for overcoming the cultural factors that limit Latinas and providing a roadmap for achieving success.

This Study Is About African-American Women In Corporate Management And Provides Relevant Action Steps For Companies And Managers To Tap Into The Talent Of This Workforce.

What Asian women face in business and what tools managers need to maximize this important segment of the workplace.

This volume is the first to directly examine the presence, maintenance, and advancement of Hispanics in the U.S. workforce. As such, this book makes a significant contribution to one of many glaring gaps of information pertaining to the soon-to-be largest minority population in the United States. . . . This book will serve as good reference material for information on Hispanics in the workforce and, I hope, will spur additional interest and research on this important yet ignored population. --Contemporary Sociology "Hispanics in the Workplace provides a very interesting and useful discussion of the status of this important group in our work force. I enthusiastically recommend it for use in graduate seminars on industrial and organizational psychology and human resources management." --Mary K. Schratz, Ph.D., California State University, Long Beach "This book addresses very important issues, seldom discussed in the literature. It is full of valuable information that brings the reader up to date on statistics, data, facts and analyses concerning issues of relevance to Latinos and to policy makers and social scientists. The book increases our understanding of the Latino work force, the problems they face, and suggests useful approaches and programs. An important resource for anyone interested in this population." --Oliva M. Espin, San Diego State University "A major contribution to the literature, Hispanics in the Workplace goes beyond the common demographic projections to in-depth studies of Hispanic groups. It is an excellent resource for descriptive statistics on Hispanics in the U.S.--especially on work force participation and education. Its analyses of how equal opportunity programs, mentoring, and litigation have affected Hispanics as a group will be very helpful to managers and policy developers." --Catherine A. Riordan, University of Missouri-Rolla "Bravo! Knouse, Rosenfeld, and Culbertson provide us with a significant look at the issues related to Hispanics at work. It should be required reading for those interested in work force diversity." --Robert A. Giacalone, University of Richmond "It provides an excellent interdisciplinary perspective and coverage of the literature on Hispanics in the workplace." --Harry C. Triandis, University of Illinois, U-C "This volume of 14 chapters, each written by a different author, provides an in-depth view of the Hispanic work force. Collectively, the chapters present a comprehensive explanation of employment factors; Hispanic work problems; mentoring systems for Hispanics; work issues for Hispanic women; and background on Hispanic work experiences in government and private sectors of the Us economy. Individual chapters are well written. . . . Readers interested in an intensive, rather statistical, perspective of the Hispanic work force will find this a useful reference." --Choice "Hispanics in the Workplace is important reading for anyone who would study Hispanic workforce characteristics, employment problems, and psychological as well as work challenges. Papers presented here are scholarly but do a fine job of using studies to pinpoint particular problems and trends unique to the Hispanic cultural experience. The link between workplace choice and experience and Hispanic psyche is strong." --Bookwatch, WYOU-TV, Madison, WI Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the United States and are filling an increasingly significant portion of the work force. However, despite these facts, little or no research to date has been conducted to address this issue. The first in its field, Hispanics in the Workplace presents a comprehensive exploration of Hispanic employment factors, problems at work, support systems, Hispanic women and work, and work in the government and private sectors. Contributors include notable researchers who uncover such specific topics as entry into employment, work force characteristics, recruiting and selection, training and development, special problems of women, job satisfaction, stress management, work ethic, stereotyping, and language barriers. They address various opportunities and problems of Hispanics they relate to the military, civilians in the military, the private sector, and entrepreneurs. If you are a professional, academic, or student of management, organization studies, sociology, human resources, and/or ethnic studies, this groundbreaker will prove to be an essential tool for you.