Dr Olivas Lujan's Blog

Time to be grateful? Or pro-active?

2011-10-06T13:33:00.000-04:00

Indeed, these are interesting times. Many say it’s a time to be grateful that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania reduced its financial support by “only 18%” –as opposed to 54% that was originally proposed. Also, it’s time to be glad that the collective bargaining agreement that governs the employment relations between faculty and coaches has not been re-negotiated; what can we expect when the first move by the faculty negotiators was to offer –not even accept—a salary freeze for the next academic year! Time to be grateful that we have jobs, right? After all, unemployment has kept stubbornly above 9% in the past months! (For details, click here.)

But, before we accept this common wisdom, take whatever the Commonwealth and the union offer and resign ourselves to a new contract with salary raises that barely match inflation (if at all!), I suggest we check some of the assumptions behind all of this gratefulness we, faculty members should have.

First of all, while it’s true that national unemployment has remained at the highest level of the decade, I believe we should examine some evidence. Consider the following graph:

Source: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm, accessed September 4, 2011

This figure also clearly ties to us, as faculty, in a number of ways. First, it suggests that what we do as teachers has significant economic (as well as cultural and intellectual) value for our students and our state --and we need to remember that and remind others of it. Moreover, this figure shows that, for individuals with faculty qualifications, the average unemployment rate can be as low as 1.9% for doctoral degree holders or as high as 4.0 for colleagues with only a master’s. It turns out that all those years in school, student loans, etc. do pay off!

Now, before you conclude that I’m suggesting we should all pack up and find jobs in private universities –since our state government is evidently uninterested in continuing to support rural higher education—, I will acknowledge that faculty mobility is not high, especially once one has achieved tenure. Instead, we have to be proactive in these difficult times.

I believe we must start by looking after our own basic needs. Trying to do “more with less” –or even “the same!’’—may be not only insulting, but also dangerous to our health. I already see some colleagues taking on increased workloads as a result of frozen hiring, coupled with recent retirements, smaller budgets for temporary positions, student workers, etc. Burnout may be right around the corner if we don’t take appropriate measures (see Ms. Scholar's column for suggestions clicking here).

Next, our professional development and commitment to research cannot stop! Unless there is a sudden change of heart in Harrisburg, it is quite likely that this is only the first of four, perhaps eight years of reductions in state support for our schools. We must continue to grow professionally. We also need to continue using and honing the rarest and potentially most valuable of our skills, the ability to do research. Not only do publications improve our individual résumés and collective reputation, they might be one of the strongest ways in which we differentiate our university from organizations that charge lower fees but simply cannot offer students what we can when we stay current in our fields. If our skills and reputation take a hit in the next few years, we will be unable to convince the shrinking student population that our university is worth attending, or find alternate sources of employment, should the need arise.

I am sure there are other ways to be proactive in these difficult times. If we work together to be proactive, we can be grateful to each other. I hope we do inspire and help each other find ways in which we will not only survive but thrive during these interesting times.

…my new “Ba-B-JHR”!

2011-08-31T21:01:00.000-04:00

Many times I’ve heard authors talk about their latest publication as“their baby” –in fact, I have used this metaphor several times, especially whenI show the results of my efforts with colleagues or friends, after months ofthinking, writing, analyzing, submitting manuscripts and responding toreviewers and editors. Well, a fewdays ago, I received my newest “baby,” the “ba-BJHR” or Business Journal of Hispanic Research, first issue of its fifthvolume, and I can hardly wait for opportunities to talk about it!

The funny thing is that I only wrote one page in thisissue. But I can tell you that Ispent many more hours, energy and effort as Editor-in-Chief of this issue thanI have for many other publications, even those in which I am single or firstauthor. Coordinating the effortsof twenty-six highly qualified individuals who so conscientiously wrote theirmanuscripts to be scrutinized by our editorial boards –another forty, highlyqualified, well known individuals from industry and academia—and several ad-hocreviewers is an experience in interdependence that I had never had before. I sure hope that many conscientiousmanagers and researchers will agree with us that this issue is full of helpful,relevant advice, distilled through rigorous methodologies.

I believe that this is one of the clearest ways in which NSHMBAdistinguishes itself from other organizations that only have a yearly event ortwo to serve their stakeholders! And this is one that creates a tangible legacyfor generations to come!

Let me share with you how this journal is different from other businesspublications. First and foremost,most of the authors are highly trained individuals: you will notice in itsindex and Contributors section that all have finished graduate school and most–over 80%--have doctorates. Secondly, there are five sections in this journal, three ofthem written mainly for the thoughtful manager who wants her or his practice tostay away from fads and “intellectual snake oil” –the Executive Articles,Summaries, and Book Reviews—and the other two sections –the Academic orScholarly Articles and the Research in Progress—are written mainly for businessscientists and researchers, who report their work in a more technicalfashion. All the content isintended to document how Hispanics in business have different sets ofcircumstances than the rest of our society, and provide information that willnot just be rigorously distilled, but also highly usable. Lastly, while the BJHR, like mostjournals, is distributed through libraries and electronic databases, it is alsosent directly to NSHMBA’s sponsors and partners, both academic and industrial;to chapter presidents and to subscribers. This increases the chances that it will be read and used actively, notjust found occasionally.

Contributions

Have you ever noticed how some blue-collar workers seem to be morestressed than others? Dr. CarolHoward and her co-authors from Oklahoma City University and from the U. ofTennessee -Knoxville surveyed not just workers but also their supervisors to examinewhether ethnical matches made any difference on job stress and burnout. They found measurable differences instress levels, on burnout and on intent to turnover, but Hispanics appeared tobe more vulnerable to ethnic mismatches than their Anglo counterparts; for thatreason, they recommend a focus on job design for Anglo workers and on perceivedethnic fit for Hispanic workers. But don’t take my word for it; read the full article on pp. 54-71 so youcan draw your own conclusions!

You might also have noticed that some organizations have DiversityManagement initiatives that are readily accepted, whereas other organizationsstruggle to find support for them, even among the employees that are expectedto benefit. Dr. Richard Herrerafrom Texas A&M in Texarkana and his collaborators from Our Lady of the Lakeand UT-Dallas have been able to find empirical support for a number ofrelationships that link cultural descriptors with leadership preferences andratings of diversity management. Among their recommendations, Human Resource and other managers of peoplemight do well by promoting a collectivistic rather than individualistic cultureto increase the acceptability of their diversity practices. Again, I invite you to read the fullreport on pp. 72-85.

Now, if you have been following the debates over illegal immigrationand how the local and state debates may impact businesses –hey, your businessmight have experienced some of these concerns!—you will be interested in a casestudy that Dr. Mark D’Antonio and his colleagues from Northern VirginiaCommunity College wrote. Thisreview of the legal precedents and justification for Affirmative Actionprograms, not just for compliance but from a competitive advantage perspectivewill put you –or your trainees—in the driver’s seat. In addition to the case printed on pp. 86-97, there is afull set of teaching notes available from the Managing Editor of the BJHR; theyare free for qualified instructors with a current subscription to the BJHR, butothers who are not so close to NSHMBA may also purchase the teaching notes inelectronic or print form.

Our Executive sections include articles on entrepreneurs and servicesoffered to them, on academy-business collaborations and academic inequality, acouple of summaries that address differences on Hispanics’ happiness andjob-related stress levels, in addition to two reviews of highly relevant books. From well-known to recently minted academicsfrom universities like Indiana, Tulane, UT-San Antonio, Saint Xavier, Quinnipiac,Marymount, and Clarion are present in these articles.

And, did I mention that NSHMBA Premier and Executive members haveonline access to the electronic version of the journal included as a benefit oftheir membership? All you need todo is login to the NSHMBA site and continue your professional developmentthrough reading and internalizing the information in this multi-disciplinaryeffort by businesspersons and academics. As always, I look forward to hearing from you via email or through mysocial networking pages (please remember to let me know that you’re a fellowNSHMBA member if you send me a connection request).

¡Hasta la próxima!

Mexico's Taj Mahal

2011-08-06T16:22:00.000-04:00

Love is definitely a many-splendored thing...

In the 17th Century, from 1632 through about 1653, the emperor Shah Jahan built what we now consider one of the wonders of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tradition says that he built this gorgeous building as a mausoleum to his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their 14th child. In preparing for this writing, I couldn't help but admire the beauty of this monument (click here for a great picture of the Taj Mahal in Wikimedia Commons).

In a quite different time and latitude, I felt privileged to visit the Museo Soumaya a few weeks ago. Built as a memorial to Soumaya Domit, Carlos Slim's late wife, I realized that one might need a full week to truly admire the panoply of works collected by Mr. Slim. I had already heard of his impressive collection, but walking around the museum to be exposed to art ranging several centuries and cultures was quite an experience.

Popular or classic; Mexican, European, Asian; pre-Hispanic, colonial, or modern; sculptures, paintings, and reliefs; sacred and profane, are just a few of the labels that may be applied to the wealth of large and small pieces that are currently open to the public in a Southern neighborhood of Mexico City. Da Vinci, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Dalí, Rivera, Renoir, and Van Gogh are some of the most famous authors whose work can be admired by anyone willing to spend some time in this mausoleum. Along some of these pieces, we find paintings and other works whose authors have been lost, but the products of their talents have not. And we can even find out about several Mexican artists who never reached the status that Rivera or Kahlo have recently been given, but their creativity was diffused throughout the nation, if not the world, albeit at a different scale.

Clearly, my comparing the Soumaya Museum with the Taj Mahal may be considered far fetched in more than way. In addition, I don't consider myself an art critic; even if I worked for a couple of years in a museum (Monterrey's Centro Cultural Alfa, another so-called vanity or industrial philanthropy museum), my work and my studies have always been centered around computers, businesses and international matters. Still, whenever I travel, I try to give myself an opportunity to visit museums or attend local performances. I would hardly be called a connoisseur, but I am grateful that I have enjoyed collections in Mexico, the US, Canada, Spain, Greece, Egypt, Italy, France, the UK, Thailand, Indonesia, and a few other places that I don't have in the top of my mind right now.

Other individuals, obviously more qualified to review museums published their opinions earlier this year, when this place opened its doors. To illustrate, the Wall Street Journal offers what I would consider a balanced --if at times snobbish--article, while critics writing for the LA Times did not hide their disappointment. For you, who might not have a trip to Mexico City scheduled in the short time, I would recommend visiting the Soumaya museum's website, and decide for yourself whether a day (or more!) is worth your time.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed my visit. I am not positive that my 14-year old son and my 12-year old daughter were as impressed as I was. But I definitely hope that they will now be able to associate some of these works with the names that they might read about in their history or art classes. I also hope that one day, they will be able to recognize in this museum, one of the most notorious philanthropic actions of a man who is both admired and criticized in their lifetimes: Carlos Slim has been identified as the richest man in the world for a few years now, and he has achieved this status in an economy that is characterized by its lesser development and blatant, if not painful inequalities.

This might be one of the largest gifts he has offered to the city that has given him fame and fortune. Few individuals will ever have the ability to give free access to anyone with time and interest to a collection this massive, this diverse, this impressive. Carlos Slim has done it --and I hope this is not the last time we learn about ways in which he gives back to a country that cannot afford to focus exclusively on basic needs or on the success of its teenage (U-17 or under 17) football players.

To learn more:

...system overload

2011-07-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

If computers could feel, I think they would have empathy for me these days... After six weeks visiting family and friends in Mexico, we came back home to the final stretch of my summer course on Business, Society and Corporate (Mis)Conduct, and now I have a couple of research deadlines looming in the very short run...

So, if you were interested in my latest blog regarding sports, labor strikes, conferences, trips, or any other of the themes I often write about, I am sorry that I have not been able to sit down and write things down. I will tell you that I do have a couple of themes coming up very soon: one on Mexico's Taj Mahal and another on "frenemies." I hope you'll enjoy them, though I must first finish up my papers so I can tighten my writing and publish them here in a few weeks.

In the meantime, I hope you are having a great summer!!!

¡Hasta la próxima!

...family trip

2011-05-01T00:01:00.010-04:00

Summer is almost here! Well, not really here in North Western Pennsylvania; we had snowflakes in April and even the first days in May were gloomy and cold. Fortunately, most years are not as cold as this one (knock on wood!); at least they haven’t, in the five-plus years since I accepted my Professor position in Clarion. My recollection is that we’d usually have several days in the mid-60s (degrees Fahrenheit) in April, but this year, we’ve had only an occasional day or two reaching the upper 50s. Why isn’t the global warming thinking locally?

My family and I are looking forward to a few weeks visiting my wife’s relatives in Cuernavaca, Mexico. We haven’t been there in almost four years and last January we found an airfare we couldn’t resist. The Aztec Emperors’ summer residence used to be in this city, and later, Spanish conqueror, Hernan Cortez’s palace as well.

Cortez's palace behind my daughter and me

The city’s nickname is “the city of eternal spring” though I am not sure we’ll find temperature in the 90s very springy. In fact, after the first few days in Cuernavaca, I feel as if we were in Phoenix (AZ) or Monterrey (Mexico), where surpassing the 100s is not at all unusual.

Still, visiting with our extended family, tasting flavors that we haven’t had for years, and just experiencing the sounds, sights, and scents that at one point used to be so familiar, is a wonderful way to start a much needed summer “break.” I feel that I have to surround this word in quotation marks, as I am traveling with books, computers and a “To-Do” list that is longer than usual.

But I really cannot complain; there aren’t many professions that offer the flexibility and autonomy that a University Professor has. Add telecommunications to the mix and all we need is a bit of discipline and systematic task controls to be able to keep on teaching from anywhere in the world. Indeed, in the past few years, I have offered segments of my summer courses from Germany, Spain, and Brazil, in addition to different states within the USA. It may take more front-loaded time and organization, but for students and instructors, this is a great trade-off –again, as long as there is a modicum of self-control and method.

I have often wondered why it is that I just cannot enjoy a full summer break like common “wisdom” suggests that academics do. It may be that I feel an obligation toward my profession and toward my field; I know that once the semester starts, my research will take a second priority, relative to my students and the urgency of committees and other service obligations. It may also be that I don’t remember seeing my father completely disconnect from his occupation as a bookkeeper; or I might be trying to instill a strong work ethic in my children and my students through providing samples of behavior I find desirable. On the other hand, those who know me close enough know that I enjoy my work more than I perhaps should! I would probably be bored if I didn’t have enough things to do, things I find valuable and helpful for my professional stakeholders.

But I digress. I am finally ready to share these thoughts with you, after several days researching and navigating the options that broadband internet service providers offer here in Mexico. As I described in a previous column, finding open wireless connections is much easier in the US than in many other countries –though various restaurants –not always the same brands, I must warn you—seem to be offering this service in an effort to attract and keep customers satisfied. In addition to that, I am still surprised by the high cost of electronics, vehicles and some food; by the wonderful service attitude that many service providers have; and by the customary kissing and hugging that so strongly distinguish Latin cultures.

I sure hope you also have a chance to visit family and friends during the summer that’s about to start. It’s also a good time to remember why it is that we work, and what the best use of the resources that we are earning is!

As always, I'd like to invite your thoughts on this; your suggestions, comments or reactions via email or on my facebook page are very much appreciated! (Don’t forget to let me know that you’re a fellow NSHMBA member so I can honor your friend request.)

¡Hasta la próxima!

...diffused attention

2011-04-04T09:00:00.006-04:00

This is one of those months… I feel pulled in so many different directions, yet compelled to fulfill my obligations.

The semester is about to reach its stress peak –which makes me realize that if I don’t get a column out this month, the following month will be much harder! The first issue of The Business Journal of Hispanic Research that I have been editing is about to go to press, and some days I feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information I have had to read and reply to. The kids’ activities are also reaching their apex, between science fairs, artistic festivals, sport tournaments, and my own chosen hobbies / “participant observation” research studies are both a way to release tension and a source of momentary strain. I guess I do live an interesting life!

I have found various potential inspirations for this month’s column, but it seems that I will only describe a few now for future development. For starters, I have thought of expanding columns that appeared to “work well” in the past. An example is the blog in which I wrote about leadership in music; I received a few interesting reactions both electronically and face-to-face. Also, since I continue to teach Leadership to our graduate students and I have had recent opportunities to participate and observe musical groups, more ideas on how theory and practice relate to or can be applied in these fascinating contexts.

Another inspiration comes from some of the texts I have been reading recently. I can’t help but feel critical sometimes and occasionally in agreement with a number of articles, books, even internet pages that I come across with. To illustrate, I recently read an article that was targeted toward lawyers and their “typical” writing style and tone (if such a style truly existed), but I found that some of the recommendations might be useful to me and my fellow business researchers. I hope I have internalized some of these suggestions to the point of using them right now, but I certainly cannot guarantee it. Using “checklists” seems to be one of the best technologies –in the broadest sense of the word—that our civilization has developed, yet their simplicity can sometimes make us underestimate their potential; writing this helps me realize that I should be using them more often!

Some ideas feel less intellectual, and hopefully more fun. If you have read the previous columns, you probably have realized that my children’s activities often provide ideas –and waiting while they work, time!—to share with you in this column. One of these months I will offer you an adaptation of that old television program “Kids Say the Darndest Things” or some other idea that hopefully will illustrate an interesting lesson based on something they did or said. Well, I guess some of these fun ideas can also be pretty intellectual after all! We’ll see…

I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you, my three faithful readers, what do you think? Is there a particular topic that you would like to discuss? As it might be evident from my status updates, some columns generate much more attention than others. I try hard to link every one of these pieces to the business disciplines that I am most familiar with, but I do wonder every now and then –especially since I blogged about customer service v. self-expression—if I should more actively look for your interests and preferences.

As always, I'd like to invite your thoughts on this; your suggestions, comments or reactions via email or on my facebook page are very much appreciated!

¡Hasta la próxima!

…Customer Service or Self-Expression?

2011-03-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

Have you ever noticed how some organizations or service providers' names and slogans seem to be focused on their customers while others seem to be an outlet for their owners’ self-expression?

The basic argument is this: the idea that organizations are supposed to serve their customers before anything else became an essential business notion sometime at the end of the 20th Century. A logical consequence was that everything related to the firm –including its identifiers—ought to also contribute toward the mission of customer satisfaction.

The mantra of “The Customer is King” was repeated over and over, to emphasize that organizations of any size exist only to serve –if not exceed!—their customers’ needs. Their satisfaction became at some point and for many organizations –universities and other educational institutions included—the major criterion against which every part of the organization was to be measured and its existence justified. For many re-engineering interventions in the 1990s, the extent to which any department or sub-process contributed to customer satisfaction became the main standard to justify its continuation or explore outsourcing or other options.

This line of thought entered into the names and sometimes even slogans of companies offering certain products or services. For example, I just saw a coupon offered by Pizza Roma, a small parlor whose main line of business is… well, Italian food (Italian-American, some of my purist gourmet friends would say)!! Browsing the newspaper, I also found several “X” Auto Rental, “Y” Health Plan, Bank of “Z” and waiting for my daughter at her most recent orthodontist appointment, I noticed that Reader’s Digest and American Cheerleader were among the magazines available in the waiting room. Their line of business is quite evident from just reading the company –or product—name.

On the other hand, there are many businesses whose name suggests that they are a means to their founder’s self-expression. For example, I am typing this column in a Hewlett-Packard netbook; many other large firms seem to have been similarly named after their founders or early owners, like Dell, Matsushita, Ford, or Barnes & Noble. Clearly, this is not a characteristic of their industries, as we also have IBM (which at some point meant International Business Machines), General Electric (the poster company for a diversified company, which you know sells much more than electric appliances), General Motors, or Amazon.

Here the question often is to what extent is the company interested in its customer’s “share of mind”? When the name of the firm is not a direct reference to what it may offer, memorable and meaningful slogans are often needed. Take the example of Sam Walton’s retailing giant, Wal*Mart. At this point in time it’s hard to find a person who doesn’t know what you can find there, but their long time slogan of Always Low Prices has been a very meaningful promise for their target market.

At the end of the day, a healthy dose of promotion will overcome any lack of explicitness that a company or product name or slogan might have relative to what they offer. For a person who did not grow with these brands, who would guess what McDonald’s, Apple, Dior, or Google may sell? In contrast, we do not need a lot of thought to conjecture what products Burger King, MicroSoft, or Toys “R” Us provide. Now, combining the founder’s name –say, Schwab Advisor Services—, or the place of origin –as in Banco Santander—with an explicit reference to the product or service offered, might save thousands of dollars in promotional expense and stay in the public’s mind more easily. Something to keep in mind the next time you’re thinking about opening your own business!

What do you think? I'd like to know your opinion; your suggestions or comments are very much needed to make this column interesting for you, your chapter and your organizations!

¡Hasta la próxima!

…bullying at work

2011-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

It might be the winter, some research I have been working on, or something else, but this month, I chose to write about a theme that is rather “dark” or unpleasant.

One of the groups in which I collaborate has been focused on increasing our understanding of workplace harassment, also known as “bullying” or “mobbing.” It is unfortunate, but for many individuals, being pushed around, shoved and otherwise physically intimidated by peers (or others) is not a distant memory from middle school; it is a present reality that occasionally even makes it to the media headlines. There are also subtler types of bullying, such as impossible deadlines or tasks, resource restrictions that make assignments unattainable for employees, and other kinds of actions that we might consider a “constructive discharge” when they are originated by the employer, or “relational aggression” when they come from individuals at similar –or even lower—hierarchical levels.

Regardless of its origin or whether the harassment is corporeal or purely emotional, employees who experience bullying simply cannot be as productive as those whose work experience is free from aggression. In fact, there is evidence suggesting that intent to stay, engagement and commitment scores decrease significantly in individuals who are victims of these undesirable behaviors.

As you may imagine, there seem to be a number of differences among countries, industries, hierarchical levels, and other demographic descriptors. A few studies have shown that in some countries, some degree of “assertiveness” –if not outright aggressiveness—is expected of supervisors in order to fulfill their expectations. Other studies document how behaviors that are OK in some countries (say, hugging or commenting on a coworker’s attractiveness) may be considered out of line in others; a similar argument can be made about industries and even about regions within countries.

My colleagues and I have been surveying management professionals in about eighteen countries, and we have been analyzing the data to write and share our findings. The multicultural nature of this group has helped me realize that there are strong differences in how countries approach this problem. Several countries such as Australia, Canada and Norway, have legislation that attempt to reduce bullying, while the United States may be said to focus only on harassment that can be constructed as discriminatory of a protected class. In other words, if the bullying behaviors can be linked to differences in sex, race, nation of origin, color, religion, pregnancy, disability status, or being over 40 years of age, there are legal provisions against it; but when there is no such link, our federal legislation offers no protection (though some states might).

Our studies have found interesting relationships between different cultural characteristics and a propensity to find bullying acceptable. I know this might sound obvious, but it is one thing to have “a hunch” that something is happening, and a different thing to find tangible evidence to support it. I have also found that there are several companies that offer consulting services to help organizations deal with these problems through education, assessments and other interventions. Let me suggest that this might not only be an interesting topic for a course project (if you are currently studying your master’s degree), but also something worth implementing in your company.

What do you think? Have you ever seen or had any of these experiences? Are there any additional issues that we should take into account to understand this phenomenon? Or –even better—, to stop it or prevent it from occurring? Please send me your comments via email to drolivaslujan@gmail.com or by posting a comment on my facebook profile. I look forward to hearing from you!

¡Hasta la próxima!

To learn more on workplace bullying, check the following:

-   Einarsen, S.E., H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C.L. Cooper (2003). Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace. International perspectives in research and practice. London: Taylor & Francis.
-   Fox, S., & Spector, P., (2005). Counterproductive Work Behaviors. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
-   Liu, C., Nauta, M. M., Spector, P. E., & Li, C. (2008). Direct and indirect conflicts at work in China and the US: A cross-cultural comparison. Work & Stress, 22(4), 295-313.
-   Loh, M.I., Restubog, S.D.L., & Zagenczyk, T.J. (2010). Consequences of workplace bullying on employee identification and satisfaction among Australians and Singaporeans: exploring the moderating role of power-distance. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 41, 236-252.

Feliz 2011 --and Seven Questions about the BJHR

2010-12-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

Yes, let me start by wishing you and all around you a great 2011!!! I hope the coming weeks will have many memorable moments to recharge for the year that's about to start!!!

Now let me share with you seven questions about on which I have been working since last October, when I accepted to be the next Editor-in-Chief for the Business Journal of Hispanic Research (BJHR):

1. What is the The Business Journal of Hispanic Research (BJHR)? The newest of NSHMBA’s publications, the BJHR serves as a bridge between research and practice on any business areas relevant to Hispanics. Using best-available scientific methods and evidence, it educates not just Hispanics about new findings in the business disciplines, but also society-at-large on the situations, problems, opportunities and solutions faced by Latinos in business.

2. How does the BJHR contribute to NSHMBA’s new Vision? Other than this journal, there is no other publication dedicated to foster and diffuse the most recent scientific findings that may be relevant for Hispanics and business. Only a “premier organization for Hispanic business professionals” has the organizing capacity and long-term forethought to bring education about Latinos beyond Hispanics themselves by means of a pragmatic, yet rigorous journal.

3. Can the BJHR contribute to NSHMBA’s new Mission and Strategic Objectives? Definitely! There are four statements that compose NSHMBA’s newly revised Mission:

Increase the number of Hispanics graduating from MBA schools through scholarships, awareness programs and mentorship,
Enhance career management opportunities for Hispanic MBAs from school to leadership positions, through job placement and world class professional development,
To be the partner of choice for organizations seeking to hire and develop Hispanic talent, and
Recruit and retain as life-long members a majority of Hispanic MBAs.

It is somewhat obvious that the BJHR contributes to (1) and (2) by means of the content it publishes --articles that may be used in MBA as well as in professional development programs, in addition to its fund-raising potential. Many articles in the BJHR have described, explained and offered suggestions to enhance opportunities for Hispanic professionals; they are being used in executive development programs by universities across the nation.

Regarding (3), the fact that the BJHR distinguishes NSHMBA from similar organizations (i.e., even though some professional organizations sponsor journals, no other professional organization by ethnic or protected-class currently publishes a journal as part of its offerings to its members and to society!) makes it more likely to be funded by sponsors to the extent that this fact is leveraged during NSHMBA’s fundraising initiatives.

And, lastly, though not less importantly, (4) recruitment and retention efforts are more likely to be successful if NSHMBA is perceived as a generator and promoter of knowledge useful for its Hispanic professional members by means of BJHR articles and development programs based upon them.

In like fashion, several of the Strategic Objectives defined by the National Board can be strongly supported by the continued publication of the BJHR; it is much more than another publication on business; it is the tool through which NSHMBA –and its partners and sponsors—foster original Research, the most refined type of education our society has created: generation and diffusion of knowledge!”

4. What is published in the BJHR? The BJHR publishes articles on all functional business areas (e.g., Strategic Management, Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technologies, Training and Development, Education, Operations, Consulting, etc.). All manuscripts include implications or guidelines for practice; its five sections are: (1) The academic scholarly section; manuscripts can be empirical (quantitative or qualitative) or conceptual; data-based manuscripts are preferred. (2) The executive section includes case studies, executive insights, best practices, etc. (3) The executive summary section publishes succinct, pragmatic reviews of research relevant to the BJHR readers. (4) The book review section summarizes recent publications in book form. (5) A research-in-progress section describes studies that are being implemented.

5. Who reads the BJHR? Its main audiences are: (a) Practicing Business and Academic professionals (of any ethnicity) interested in Hispanics as a source of talent or a growing market; (b) Students enrolled in business and other programs at the executive, graduate and undergraduate levels; (c) Professionals with decision-making responsibilities such as marketing, diversity and inclusion executives, policy-makers and others. Have you read it lately? Find the latest edition here!

6. How is the quality of the BJHR content ensured? All papers are blind-reviewed by scholars and subject matter experts. The editorial board is composed of high-ranking executives and academics who offer recommendations to the Editorial team as to what articles are ready to be published or what improvements may be needed. The editors are senior-level academics or executives with ample experience in the process. Feedback is actively sought after.

7. Are there any fees or payments for editors, authors or contributors? No! In consistency with scientific practice in most Business journals, authors, reviewers and editors (with the exception of the Managing Editor, who works for the National Office) do not receive or are charged any monetary payments in exchange for their valuable, highly specialized work. The National Society of Hispanic MBA’s (NSHMBA) assumes all related costs to realize its vision "To be the premier organization for Hispanic business professionals" and its purpose "to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development. NSHMBA works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S., so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation's diverse workforce.

I look forward to hearing your reactions about these questions on the BJHR! Let me close by wishing you a Feliz Navidad, a Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! I hope that your worst moments in 2011 are like the best of 2010!!!

…Hispanic Business Research

2010-11-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

I am returning from the 2010 Conference and Career Expo in Chicago as I write this note. What an incredible event this has been, changing the lives of hundreds of individuals who find jobs, schools, talent, and like-minded individuals who are willing to spend their time, their money and many other resources to improve society through education for and about Hispanics! What a long sentence too, but my batteries get so recharged every time I attend a NSHMBA event like this!!

A particularly exciting development (especially at the personal level) is that, starting October 2010, I have assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief for the Business Journal of Hispanic Research, NSHMBA’s most noticeable and recent effort to educate not only ourselves, Hispanics, but all of society! By systematically and scientifically documenting the situations, problems and solutions that Hispanics and non-Hispanics businesspersons encounter, the BJHR bridges research and practice, to serve students, mid-level managers and executives that are interested in going beyond what “common sense” (often the least common of the senses!) and mainstream media tell.

I am excited about this opportunity for several reasons. I have found my professional calling in research because the scientific method has transformed the way we live, work, and study; progress in all areas of life has accelerated since our society has been documenting its problems and solutions in a systematic manner. I also believe that keeping records of a subject of study by means of academic journals helps it transcend beyond time! Let me explain: I have often wondered, “shouldn’t we know more about the Mayans, Incas, Aztecs or other Native Americans than about the Jewish people, who lived in a more remote place and time?” Besides the obvious answer that religions have played a large role in preserving the knowledge our society currently has about the Abrahamic legacy, I believe that a key factor is that they wrote things down in a way that has been transmitted by generations!!!

To the extent that we are serious about keeping our Hispanic heritage alive and passing it to future generations, I believe we need to read, write, publish and promote outlets that specifically focus on Hispanics. Thousands of books are published every year, but very few of them are written by, for or about Latinos. In Business, there are also hundreds of journals dealing with every business function from the mainstream perspective, but only one is currently publishing content that is targeted explicitly to and about Hispanics in the business world, and that is the BJHR.

No other Society or Association of MBAs has assembled a group of qualified and diverse executives and academics to call for, double-blind review and publish content that specifically focuses on its Mission, and I believe that this is one of the more tangible ways in which NSHMBA enacts its vision to become the “premier organization for Hispanic business professionals”! The BJHR distinguishes us as a group that cares about ongoing professional development, and it can be used as a recruitment, retention, and fundraising tool –it simply makes me incredibly proud to be a NSHMBA Lifetime member!

Regarding fundraising, I also was impressed when Andrés Velásquez, from the Cleveland Chapter of NSHMBA, shared with me and Manny Gonzalez –our new CEO—that a most effective approach to sell sponsorships for the upcoming Hispanic Summit (May 19-20, 2011; mark your calendar!) has included sharing an issue of the BJHR with potential sponsors. Diversity and Inclusion executives seem to appreciate the contribution that NSHMBA gives to society through this publication, enough to share some of their scarce resources to support other activities that also carry the NSHMBA brand, again, the only Society of MBAs that has been willing to improve society through educating not only Hispanics but anyone else willing to take the time and effort to read the BJHR.

I can also see many challenges in this road I’m starting. You might be aware that, recently, the BJHR has been published online only, as the printing, shipping and handling expenses have been too high for NSHMBA to bear. Of course, publishing it online only is better than not doing it at all, but, as the anecdote above suggests, fundraising without a printed copy might be less effective. Also importantly, the number of business researchers who include Hispanics in their professional interests is quite low, and peer reviewed research reports take months, when not years, to be completed. Strengthening the pipeline of articles to keep the BJHR fresh and useful for its readers might need special promotion in the form of research grants and other initiatives. I hope that we –all of NSHMBA’s stakeholders, internal and external—will be able to create and support these initiatives so that we can continue to improve society through education.

I feel both privileged and humbled to get the baton from Dr. Donna Maria Blancero, who had the vision to found the journal and is now part of the Faculty at Bentley College, in Boston. I am also grateful to NSHMBA’s Board of Directors and to its Interim CEO, Steven Ramos, who ensured that the BJHR survived through some of the worst economic times that NSHMBA has undergone, and initiated the process that Manny finalized to bring me to this position. I also have to thank the BJHR Editorial Board which has continued to support the journal through its economic difficulties, particularly Henry Hernandez, Jr., and Drs. Dianna Stone-Romero and Mickey Quinones. The journal also has a debt of gratitude to Drs. C. Douglas Johnson and Rob DelCampo, who worked very hard as Associate Editors but are now moving to other responsibilities.

Ms. Maru Tapia has been working beyond her contractual obligations as the Managing Editor who has “kept the doors open” even before Clarion, my home university and NSHMBA started to explore the agreement that will enable me to serve in this capacity. Jim Huerta has been serving as a Development Executive, finding ways to expand the BJHR influence and sustainability. And, last, but never least, every reader of the BJHR who applies its lessons in their professional life, benefitting not just his or her career, but also their companies and society at large!

What about you? If you haven't read the BJHR recently, please use this link. I'd like to know your thoughts about it; your suggestions or comments are very much needed to make this publication a stronger asset for you, your chapter and your organizations!

¡Hasta la próxima!

…Leadership in Music

2010-10-11T19:58:00.000-04:00

Few jobs involve leadership skills as obviously as that of an orchestral conductor. As I write these words, I’m sitting in the back of the rehearsal room while one of my children plays the violin with the discipline and concentration that about thirty other musicians need to exert in order to play classical music well enough for a future public performance.

This is both a stirring and a humbling experience. In the background, I’ve been grading homework submitted by my Leadership students while the conductor works intensely to create the harmony that I have enjoyed so many times in the hall, from a seat in the audience. As I read and evaluate the concepts that my students are applying, I become increasingly aware of how practical Leadership classes can be if we apply them to contexts as different as business, volunteer work, family life, and even musical performances!

I don’t think I had ever fully realized the time, knowledge, skills, and energy needed to make so many talented, individual performers work for their shared objective of executing a piece flawlessly. It just is so delightful when you spend an hour or more enjoying music considered classic because it has endured the test of time. Some of the compositions evoke places, moods, emotions, and so many other human experiences even when the listener doesn’t know much about the hours of training that brought them about, but even more when we know a bit of it.

The level of knowledge that the conductor requires is evident whenever he (or, more often in recent times she!) explains what is needed to better interpret a particular classical author in a given segment of the piece. Also, whenever they recognize that a particular performer or set of instruments is not joining at the precisely right time that is required. Their skills are also put to the test whenever the group just “naturally” changes its cadence because the piece itself “suggests” it --but it wasn’t the composer’s original intent!

The way conductors have to be both task and relationship oriented is also shown whenever they have to give feedback in a way that is perceived as neither impersonal nor caustic. At times, they focus on the music pitch, the rhythm, the chords, and a myriad other details that can be considered predominantly technical. But often, they also have to work on the interpersonal dynamics, such as the time that a trombone player who momentarily left the room found his instrument filled with water when he tried to start playing! Fortunately, by the most part this group knows each other well and they seem to have a friendly camaraderie. But I am sure that at times, jokes, personal preferences, differing levels of ability may be upsetting to some of the performers and the conductor’s implicit job description surely includes defusing conflict and creating an esprit de corps that will eventually translate into a stirring performance.

My child is the youngest performer, but I can see that this is an experience that is paying off by way of providing the most challenging experience so far. I’m already looking forward not just to the concert in a few weeks, but to share these thoughts with the entire family as well as my students --and with you, kind reader!

What do you think? Have you experienced “Obvious Leadership” in a particular context that you’d like to mention? I look forward to reading your ideas and examples. Please send me your comments via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or by posting a comment on my facebook profile.

¡Hasta la próxima!

…Transitions

2010-09-01T00:00:00.006-04:00

Transitions are rarely easy, but they should always be for the best…

In just a few weeks, over eight thousand NSHMBA members will be gathering around McCormick Place in Chicago, for the 2010 Conference and Career Expo. Are you ready for it? This might be one of your best opportunities to transition from student to professional. It certainly has been for a few thousands of NSHMBA members in the past twenty-some years or so!

If you don't feel you are ready, most likely you are not alone. That feeling of being unprepared can be typical of finishing many educational programs, even when objectively we are truly prepared. Feelings of uncertainty and anxiety are sometimes exacerbated by the large amount of assignments or by the lack of structure that many graduate-level problems have. Hey, if the problem was easy to structure, it probably would not be appropriate for grad school! You might have also experienced this "Transition Anxiety" whenever you started your MBA program, or when you had your first job after college, or when you went to college. And you not only survived, but now you're getting ready to transition to an even higher stage, aren't you?

Just so you don't feel too lonely, let me tell you that, at the beginning of the Fall semester, several of my well-experienced colleagues who happen to also be facebook friends posted status updates that may be symptomatic of this. To illustrate, Feeling frantic, and the semester hasn't even started yet! or I actually only have to do one syllabus for tomorrow but I haven't started it yet either. Forget "just in time", I go with "just before emergency!" as a response to 1 syllabus done, 1 more to go....

Quite frankly, I didn't post something like that simply because I was busy finalizing the syllabi and websites for the three courses I will be teaching this semester! But the feelings were there, somewhat yearning that the summer break had not finished so fast, but also glad to meet new students, to get back more intently to my research and to continue making my university a better place for those around me.

Then I thought I'd ask my wife, who happens to be one of my favorite educators –you could say that she takes primary responsibility for the day-to-day education of our children- whether she was also feeling this "Transition Anxiety" that my colleagues –and to some extent myself- were reporting. Her answer? She couldn't wait for the school year to begin! Her planning was developing just as she and our friends could possibly want it and the kids were also ready to start working on their new challenges! What a difference in outlook -all discrepancies considered!

What to do?

To me, it makes a difference when we consciously look at the bright side of these transitions. I know it was a major challenge to my wife -and even to my then even younger children- every time we have moved from one city to another, from being a dual-career couple to a doctoral student family, then back to two incomes in a different city, and finally back to a "professorial family." The money was a major consideration, but of course not the only one. We took into account our extended families, our support networks, the potential for our professional advancement, and our children's developmental opportunities -among other things. Yet, we have lived in three cities, transitioning in four occasions and found a mostly positive balance on each. It might not have been easy, but I know that I would not have the fulfilling career I now have if we had not been willing to give it a try.

Nerves and butterflies are fine - they're a physical sign that you're mentally ready and eager. You have to get the butterflies to fly in formation, that's the trick. ~Steve Bull

I strongly encourage you to do the same. Every now and then I learn of former students who don't seem to find a suitable opportunity to work according to their potential or their education. It breaks my heart because I see most others making quick progress, especially when they are willing to take chances, move geographically, keep on learning and continue to grow in as balanced and integrated way as possible (with this I mean keeping work and family, body and mind, finance and spirit, etc. without neglecting any of these crucial areas). I do hope they see how sometimes the limits are in our minds much more than outside of us, and make the necessary adjustments.

Lastly, take stock of what you do have! As I said above, quite often we are readier than we feel we are; did you ever experience that transitioning from a school level to another? If you are (as most NSHMBA members are) in an accredited, well-recognized program, you must have received the quality education that many others did before you in your institution. Learn about them, study their career paths and make your own future through your own career decisions, keeping in mind that your story will be unique and different.

Also, if you happen to see Steve Ramos or Manny Gonzalez, wish them your best! Steve is transitioning after working tirelessly as NSHMBA's Interim CEO and Manny is the newly hired CEO starting this month!! Congratulations to both!!

What do you think? Are you experiencing "Transition Anxiety"? I would love to read your ideas about how you cope with it. Please send me your comments via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or by posting a comment on my facebook profile. I look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

¡Hasta la próxima!

…Outdoors Experiences

2010-08-06T23:28:00.000-04:00

Have you participated in any outdoor activities recently? In the past decade or two, I had not spent more than a few days in more or less comfortable cabins in Pennsylvania or Northern Mexico. So, now that one of my sons has outgrown the children’s summer camp he used to attend, I thought it was a good idea to go hiking around the Appalachian Trail in one of the state parks in Virginia with other teenagers, some of their parents and a few expert guides. With 2,179 miles, this is one of the largest footpaths on Earth, touching fourteen states, from Georgia to Maine (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/).

Back in November, when I learned about this excursion, it sounded like a neat father-son activity that could strengthen our relationship, in addition to learning survival skills and meeting other like-minded individuals. I also thought that I should experience on my own flesh what I preach in the classroom: in my Organizational Behavior courses, I review the classical stages of group formation and tell my students that outdoor activities --such as the classical “rope courses”--can be powerful experiences for groups of individuals who need to work together. Maybe a similar experience could remind me of my teenage years, when some friends and I used to spend a weekend outdoors every now and then.

It all started quite well on Saturday, after driving for about eight hours, from NW Pennsylvania to the Western side of Virginia. We met in a camp center with a simple but comfortable house near a state park, where we received a general description of the week we were about to experience, and made sure that all participants had all the essential gear that would be needed during the week. Most participants got to know each other there and our guide split us according to the camping tents that we had available. We also assembled the tents we’d be using for the first time and learned the basics of camping ethics, including leaving as minimal a “footprint” as possible by properly disposing of garbage depending on its type. The teens swam in the nearby river, played cards and everyone got to know each other better, as we had come from at least four different states.

On Sunday, we moved to Grayson Highlands State Park, where we learned how to use portable saws, find the best wood for the fire, and properly use our pocket knives to sharpen sticks for cooking hot dogs, marshmallows, and similar delicacies appropriate for the occasion. It was particularly important to keep our tents as dry as possible, as the places we were about to travel are known for “drastic weather changes”!

And drastic changes we had! On Monday, we were able to take a good deal of sun, after walking –with camping gear, clothes and food for several days in our backs-- slightly less than six miles on the Appalachian Trail and some subsidiary trails. That very night, we had some rain after we had set up our tents, had a simple but delicious dinner and our organizer read a few paragraphs from a Western novel in front of our fire. I thought the rain could give us –particularly the younger trekkers-- an incentive to turn in earlier, instead of playing cards or chat the night away. It’s hard to believe how priorities --and energy levels-- vary so much with a little age difference!

“Yours Truly,” sitting on a rock near the Appalachian Trail after cleaning up a bit, Wednesday night of the excursion

Fast forward until Friday; we had gotten drenched most nights, walked about 24 miles, and not used a bathroom since Sunday morning (fortunately, we had found a creek on Wednesday and that night, in spite of the rain, we slept cleaner and more comfortably than most other days). We had also climbed to Mount Rogers, the highest peak in the state of Virginia. One half of our group who did not clean their dishes but left them out at night had their food raided by a half a dozen wild ponies, and most participants had had a blast. After we ate our first meal of the week in a restaurant, dried up our gear, and took showers, we realized how easy it is to take for granted the food, shelter, fresh water and even toilets that a large proportion of people in our world so sorely lack.

Reference mark at the top of Mount Rogers, indicating the highest point in the state of Virginia: 5729 feet (1746 m) above mean sea level

The next day, it was hard for young and old to say goodbye, after having spent almost a week together, at the expense of the elements and helping each other get wood, build fires, filter water, cook, clean up our gear, and admiring the beauty of creation. Email and other addresses were exchanged and new facebook friends were made. I can now more than imagine the strength of cohesiveness these activities may generate on people who work for a particular organization!

What do you think? Have you had similar experiences? Do you find outdoor activities inspiring, challenging, a waste of energy or else? I would love to read other points of view with respect to how organizations use these activities to improve their climate or environment (in the social or interpersonal sense). Please send me your comments via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or by posting a comment on my facebook profile. I look forward to hearing from you!

¡Hasta la próxima!

...World Cups and Leadership

2010-07-01T18:58:00.000-04:00

…I am the master of my fate | I am the captain of my soul. – Last two verses of Invictus, by W. E. Henley

You know that you’re traveling too much when you see the same movie in two separate business trips. This is the case for me this summer, but I am not complaining, as I have very much enjoyed Invictus both times –the movie about South Africa’s underdog participation in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, starred by Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.

The movie was well-timed, as the FIFA World Cup is still being played in South Africa as I write these lines. Several of our naturally favorite teams have already advanced to the second stage –most notably the USA, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, and Chile, some of which may still go beyond all expectations!! In the process, from the 11th of June to the 11th of July, the world will have learned a bit more about South African geography and history. Personalities from South Africa and other participating nations will have received more media attention than usual; and firms sponsoring all related events will have earned goodwill from soccer fans and many others worldwide.

I enjoyed this movie for many reasons, including the fact that I love participating in and watching sports just like the next person. I also consider the fall of Apartheid in South Africa one of the greatest historical events in my lifetime, along with the fall of the Berlin wall. I wish we could see something similar in the near future between the two Koreas and in so many other conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, and even in our own continent, where violence, separating walls, and many types of discrimination still run rampant. As the Spanish saying goes, ¡La esperanza es lo último que muere! (Hope dies last!)

Another important reason why I feel this movie deserves attention is the transformational and charismatic leadership exhibited by Nelson Mandela (Freeman’s character in the movie) and by François Pienaar (Damon’s character, the captain of the South African team). One can almost feel how the South African team grows in esprit de corps as the movie advances and they realize that the world, and –most importantly—their own nation change their perception about what can be achieved when people put the past behind and work together for a better future. This type of leadership and change is needed in many organizations that have been decimated by recent layoffs or merged with others as our economy emerges from the recession and new business realities have to be dealt with.

Nelson Mandela in 2004 with the FIFA Cup, after South Africa was Awarded Hosting this Year’s Championship.

Photo Credit: FIFA World, June/July 2010.

I could not help feeling a bit of sadness when I learned that South Africa is the first host nation for the FIFA World Cup that does not qualify to the second stage of the tournament. Still, as the host nation, South Africa will have brought between $1.1 and $1.5 billion to its local economy. Airports, roads, stadiums, and more infrastructure will have been renovated and hopefully, the dream of making the world a little more peaceful through sports will have been achieved.

Local businesses also benefit around the world. While it might be true that soccer does not attract audiences in the US like it does in most other nations, we know that there are several local and regional markets in which this sport generates just as much passion –and consumption! Among my acquaintances, I perceive a stronger inclination among Hispanics to follow the World Cup, although I also remember my own –very much Hispanic!—mother being tired of her teenage son watching so many games in such a short time a few years ago –OK, more than just a few...

Mass media and sponsoring multinationals tend to be among the biggest winners, but even Mom & Pop’s restaurants around the world draw significant crowds when the locals gather to see the next big game with other fans. Of course, there is also the danger of collective euphoria going wrong as it often happens after major competitions hold their title games. We only need remember what happened in Los Angeles a few weeks ago after the Lakers won another basketball championship against the Boston Celtics. Again, while I would hope that unfortunate events like these do not occur when the final game of the FIFA Cup is played, a certain level of caution and prudence are advisable. I sure hope that the Cup is earned by one of our Ibero-American nations this July (yes, this “region” includes the USA, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal)!

What do you think? Are you also keeping track of several teams during this tournament? Or, are you tired of so many grown men running after a little ball, like a good uncle of mine has been heard saying? Is your business in some way supporting or being supported by major sport events like this? If you would not mind sharing your thoughts on this matter, send me your comments via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or by posting a comment on my facebook profile. I look forward to hearing from you!

¡Hasta la próxima!

...mindsets!!

2010-06-03T18:40:00.000-04:00

We can’t become what we don’t believe we could become...

I recently gave a talk about the “global mindset.” Essentially, mindsets are sets of knowledge, assumptions and attitudes that enable an individual to perform adequately in a particular context. International managers have to develop a “global mindset” to excel at their work. Knowledge such as cultural customs, being able to speak a second language (or more!), abilities such as being persistent to get to the bottom of a misunderstanding while communicating with people from other cultures are part of what we call a “global mindset.”

Traveling through Germany last May made me think about how some enchanting palaces that are now museums started out as simpler shelters for the rulers of the area. At some point in history, the owner –often a descendent of the original builders but sometimes an invader or its representative—decided to add a branch, and a few years later another individual added another one, until the building at some point is turned into a museum. Nowadays, these buildings are full of stories, legends, objects from the past that attract visitors from all over the world, creating an industry that brings jobs and creates wealth in a way that few other places are able to.

Vineyards and Old Homes along the Rhine River

Admiring the beauty of these almost millenary places made me wonder… what type of a mindset did these individuals have in order to create a mansion out of a house, a castle out of a mansion, or a museum out of a castle? Would I have been one of them if I had lived their circumstances? Do I have a “creator’s mindset”? I earned an MBA and have been an administrator for some years, so, how about a “manager’s mindset”?

Some of my fellow researchers have written about how entrepreneurial work might need a different skill set –a mindset?—from the one required to be a manager. The efforts of many hundreds of individuals –including dozens of managers—are needed to maintain, let alone improve or revamp, any organization like a museum or a company. Usually, a few individuals are acknowledged for creating or turning around any project that lasts a decade or more, but there is a need to give credit to those women and men whose daily work ensures that the project keeps on providing value as time goes by. MBAs and other training programs give students the skill sets to sustain, rather than revolutionize the organizations they work for; the latter mindsets are harder to identify and even harder to nurture, but Leadership or Strategy courses include topics such as Creativity or Innovation that are designed for this purpose.

At NSHMBA, we owe it to our founders like Henry Hernandez, Maggie Peña, or Victor Arias (apologies for not mentioning many more influential individuals but these are some of the names whose contributions are now salient in my mind) that they had the creativity and perseverance to envision and launch an organization that promotes business education among Hispanics to improve our increasingly diverse society. Also, our CEOs, chapter presidents, officers and any participating member, past and present, have also been able to offer contributions, with the support and dedication of every staff and volunteer member of the organization in each and every chapter. It is this mix of entrepreneurial and managerial skills; of creativity and dedication mindsets that make our organization one we can be proud of.

In a variety of contexts, it seems human nature that we are often tempted to see ourselves as creators or innovators to the detriment of assuming a more necessary role of managers or “stewards.” Just like in professional sports, many organizations have thousands of “Sunday night coaches” who are able to identify –with the help of instant repetition and “20/20 hindsight”—every error that the team committed. We might want to call this the “Sunday night coach mindset.”

If you are still reading this, I encourage you, like I tell my students, not to bring such a mindset to your work. This “Sunday night coach mindset” might be very helpful to strike interesting conversations, but within companies or non-profit organizations, an excessively critical, non-constructive attitude may lead to a lower commitment that eventually translates into an impoverished organization.

I am not suggesting that you should not be a thoughtful critic. In fact, such a mindset might be a precursor of the “entrepreneurial” or the “creator” mindset. To the extent that we are able to identify organizational weaknesses or environmental threats, we might be able to see opportunities that revolutionize our organizations and bring them to a new level. And that proactive mindset is precisely one of the abilities that we, as trained managers who make a difference should more eagerly strive for!

I hope these lines encourage you to monitor on yourself the extent to which you have acquired not just a “manager mindset” but also a “creator” or an “innovator mindset.” Even if we cannot expect that every fellow NSHMBA member will found a similar organization, I believe we can and should expect of ourselves a professional, proactive mindset that will eventually find a way to leave a legacy in our families, our workplace, and in our communities. I will set my mind to that!

¡Hasta la próxima!

…lessons from Martial Arts

2010-05-17T13:14:00.001-04:00

Sometimes we can see valuable Management lessons at work in unexpected areas, such as the martial arts. For several years now, three of my kids have been practicing Tang Soo Do, a traditional Korean martial art that is similar in many respects to Tae Kwon Do, the Olympic sport. Last year, I decided to join them, since I was the one driving them to and from their classes.

Though my original motivation was the physical aspect (I felt I had been neglecting my body too much), I have been finding out quickly that there is much more to martial arts than exercise or learning to defend oneself. I have been learning about the history and customs of Korea, China, and a bit of Japan, as a consequence of researching the diffusion of these disciplines. But, more importantly, I have been observing first-hand the application of many concepts I teach in my classes, in a fascinating context that I had not previously considered.

Exhibit 1: Organizational Socialization
Take for example the organizational process of socialization. As you might recall from (or are about to learn in) your management classes, this involves introducing new members to the organization and to its culture, in an explicit effort to integrate them more speedily and smoothly. Identifying and assigning “sponsors” –well-established employees—to guide the newcomers through their new environment is perhaps one of the best techniques to bring new members onboard. Though this is not a formal process in our studio, I have been observing that the new students who have friends or relatives who are more advanced tend to stay longer and learn faster than the new students who come as “pioneers” from their social circles (so-called “boundary spanners” in the field of social networking).

Similarly, Human Resource Management researchers have found that new employees hired through internal references tend to become more productive and adjust more rapidly to their new employer than other employees hired through external labor markets. To me, this suggests that organizations (especially those that depend on volunteer work like NHSMBA) would do well to ensure that every new member is assigned a sponsor if they do not already have other friends or acquaintances inside. Not only would this reduce attrition, it will increase the chances that these new members will be more engaged, committed, valuable, and satisfied.

Exhibit 2: The Danger of Narrow Evaluations
There are ten different belts from white to black belt. To advance from belt to belt, students have to fulfill attendance requirements, self-defense techniques, hand and kick techniques, a few language and culture terms, and a specific “form” (hyung is the Korean term, also known as “kata” in other martial arts). These forms represent a fight with an imaginary group of enemies, who are defeated through the use of specific, tightly choreographed defense and attack techniques. Because these forms are much more complex than the rest of the requirements, they tend to capture to a greater extent the students’ attention. It is easy for the less mature students to think they deserve to skip belts because they have learned the forms that correspond to those more advanced belts.

This narrowing of the evaluation scope tends to occur in businesses too! Sometimes new employees find themselves more deserving than their managers think they are. But other times it is the managers who fall prey to the “halo” or the “recency” bias that cognitive psychology has identified. Of course, this might happen in any martial art as well: if we are not careful, we might believe that someone is ready to take more responsibility than they truly are because we restricted our appraisal to only a few outstanding factors, neglecting to see the full picture.

Of course, it is also true that people often “grow into” new roles; sometimes the best available candidate only has the essential competencies and some training and development in the near future will bring them to their full potential. But the main point remains, that there is danger in restricting our personnel evaluations to only a few aspects, especially when they are a complex, yet incomplete part of the whole picture.

There are many other lessons that have been coming to my mind as I am about to reach the end of my first year as a Tang Soo Do “artist” (that seems to be the preferred term). I know that some of my friends and students have reached the black belt, that highly priced, attainable by very few individuals. If you have been having similar considerations from another martial art or from a different field (for example, music), I would love to hear from you.

¡Hasta la próxima!

…financial literacy

2010-04-01T00:01:00.003-04:00

April is our nation’s official “Financial Literacy Month.” Among all the issues that have garnered attention from both the current and the past presidential administrations, I find the consensus this one issue has achieved, refreshing. Both Presidents Bush and Obama have supported the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission, a group established “with the purpose of improving the financial literacy and education of persons in the United States” (mymoney.gov). About twenty federal agencies, including the FTC, SEC, SBA, DOL, DOT, FDIC and other acronyms that many MBAs are familiar with, are supporting this mission.

This Commission’s website is replete with informational resources including information on budgeting, taxes, saving and investing, financial planning, home ownership, privacy, fraud, scams, retirement, and establishing a small business. I thought I would feel a bit more confident using their financial calculators compared to the ones offered by financial firms, but unfortunately, the site crashed multiple times when I visited in preparing this article. Still, I was able to enjoy their Public Service Announcements (PSAs), as well as various other pages offering advice and warning visitors about the classic “Advance Fee Loan” and “Foreclosure Rescue” scams.

As you might imagine, federal agencies do not have a monopoly on this issue. While researching this topic, I found that several states have also created their own departments of financial literacy (VT, WA, WI were some of the most prominent on my searches) and educational agencies –such as Oklahoma’s—have promulgated standards in an effort to make their middle- and high-schoolers more financially aware and wiser than the previous generations.

If you are a member of the AICPA (American Institute of CPAs), you might be familiar with feedthepig.org, a website developed to “encourage and help Americans aged 25 to 34 to take control of their personal finances;” my guess is that most MBA students –Hispanic or not!—fall within this age range and would find the website’s suggestions quite useful. Among the topics that are covered in this site, we find “Gadget Habit,” “Pack-a-day,” “Weekend Tripper,” “Nails,” “Hair,” “Happy Hour,” “Season Tickets,” “Premium cable,” “Phone Plan Overages,” and many more. If you can relate with these titles, check out the tests, the videos and the challenges in this site. You might end up with a strong “ROE” (Return on "Entertainment") in this particular URL!

But if your age is in a different range, then you might be interested in visiting 360financialliteracy.org, another website sponsored by AICPA and the Ad Council that includes non-promotional financial advice from childhood until retirement, along with brief movies, articles, questions, books, etc.

Of particular interest to me as a researcher who often writes on gender issues was their section for women. While some of the content within this section was not gender-specific (e.g., “What Savings or Investment Products Are Not FDIC Insured?”), there are articles on advice for newlyweds, baby arrivals, children from previous marriages, integration of health insurance benefits and much more, that can be of particular interest to women who want to make better informed financial decisions.

This site also has information sections for our “Military and Reserves” friends, for “Entrepreneurs,” for the “Sandwich Generation” (individuals who are taking care of both aging parents and children), and several other topics that might be of interest for many readers. I strongly recommend, check it out!

Another information service that I have been subscribed to for a few years is The Wall Street Journal’s marketwatch.com. Of course, my pension management companies also offer a wealth of helpful resources, but I tend to get a skeptical eye whenever I know that the advice often includes promotions on their own products.

For sports fans, I have to recommend the site financialfootball.com, which is hosting a VISA-sponsored site in collaboration with the approaching 2010 FIFA World Cup. A “Financial Soccer” game is being released in about 21 different versions, for nine different regions of the world and in five languages, including English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian. Various informational modules are offered free-of-charge in combination with a web-based game that enables users to play a game and practice what they have learned. I certainly hope it is widely accepted in the United States, as well as in Latin America, although the regional versions seem to be now available only for Uruguay, Mexico, Honduras, and Brazil.

If your local NSHMBA chapter has a partnership with another group or a mentoring program for younger students, let me suggest using some of these free resources to help them better their financial future. You might have heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: “those who teach learn twice!”

What do you think? Are you familiar with any resources that might be helpful in achieving the goal of improving our financial literacy? Do you have any related experiences to share in a future column? Send me your thoughts or suggestions via email (drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com), facebook, or LinkedIn.

¡Hasta la próxima!

…stream of consciousness

2010-03-06T04:48:00.007-05:00

It’s Thursday morning in Manchester (UK). For the first time, I’m traveling to this historical city for a day-and-a-half conference on the “practice of practise.” My word processor doesn’t like the second spelling of this word! Thanks perhaps to Noah Webster and George and Charles Merriam, in the US we prefer not to distinguish between the noun practice –“a way of doing something that is common, habitual or expected”—and the verb to practise –“to do something repeatedly or regularly in order to improve one’s skill”—, like the Oxford dictionary does. Turns out that, for some of my colleagues, the research we do and publish has gotten too disconnected from what practicing (or, should I write “practising”?) managers do and a few dozen researchers have been invited to study this notion in some depth.

I must confess that I feel incredibly honored and maybe even a bit intimidated, as I am the least known researcher in the list of conference participants. But just yesterday, I received an email that boosted my self-confidence highly, as I was invited to give one of the keynote speeches in another conference that will take place in Bamberg (Germany) in May. The paper I sent was blind-reviewed by two referees who rated it very highly, and the organizers felt it was worth giving it more air space than what I had expected. I know Mamá will be proud of me, even though she rarely needs a reason to do so. But enough about me; I thought I’d share with you this month some of my thoughts (the “stream of consciousness”) as I visit this “brilliant” city and here I am wasting valuable air time talking about myself.

Well, as I said above, I have just arrived in town; consequently, I feel slightly jet-lagged. Coffee here is much stronger than what I usually get in Clarion, plus I am excited about this event, so, I think I will get by. I took the train from the airport to the downtown area where the Manchester Business School is located and was reminded that they don’t call it “English punctuality” for nothing. I was trying to make sure I was boarding the right train when the time came, and off went the first I should have boarded. Fortunately, service is offered frequently, so, I was able to reach Manchester within a few minutes on the next train (note to self: stop trying to double-check everything; it’s not like you’re using an unfamiliar language, even if it sounds so!).

I had time to take a few pictures, read the “Metro” newspaper, and review the city maps so I know what to do once I reach downtown. Not a hard task, since the city has enough signs indicating street names and routes. At this point, I’m feeling hungry, even though it’s not even 6 AM for my body clock. I find a little café in one of the alleys perpendicular to Oxford Street, where I have my first English breakfast in Great Britain. I have heard so many times that “to eat well in England, you have to have breakfast three times” that I am ready to experiment –hoping I don’t get “King Henry’s revenge” just like our Anglo cousins often get “Moctezuma’s revenge” when visiting Mexico. I have to say I am not disappointed. The egg and patty are not different from what we’d find in the US, but the sausage tastes a bit different –and very enjoyable! The toast is also good flavored, but the sweet flavor in the beans is not what I am used to, yet I like being able to savor unfamiliar tastes. I also tried the decaf coffee but it tastes too much like the instant brand I use in my office when I feel too lazy to brew a better cup.

The newspapers here seem to be fascinated by the encounter of South African President, Jacob Zuma –and his third current wife—with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Zuma grabbed the press’ attention by demanding respect for his culture –apparently somebody told him that Britons do not approve of polygamy or out-of-wedlock offspring, and that has started a media frenzy like only the British Royal family can spawn.

After Checking in…

Make that “After a 2-hour nap...”! I did not really feel that tired until I thought I should feel the bed in my small room. OK, I’ve seen smaller –in Hong Kong!—, but I’m always amazed at how easy it is to get used to our jumbo-sized rooms in the Americas. I exercised a bit, shaved, took a shower and got ready for the initial meeting downstairs.

It’s a neat group of colleagues! We have so many things in common, in spite of coming from such different countries as Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, the US (and I cannot help mentioning “originally from Mexico”!), and, of course, our British hosts. Our dinner is not another English breakfast, but I enjoy it very much. Then it’s time to work –crazy, isn’t it? Well, we have to take full advantage of our being together here for a day and a half, to continue the work we have been doing for several months already and into the future.

I’ll post a picture or two on my blog if they turn out “sharable.” I think I have already exceeded the preferred length for this month’s column. Thanks for reading, I look forward to your “stream of consciousness”!

¡Hasta la próxima!

To learn more: Antonacopoulou, E. P. (2009). On the practise of practice: In-tensions and ex-tensions in the ongoing reconfiguration of practices. In D. Barry and H. Hansen (eds) Handbook of New and Emerging Approaches to Management & Organization, London: Sage.

…February’s “V-Days”

2010-02-01T00:01:00.009-05:00

I have been witnessing an interesting twist to an old tradition. I remember that, as I was growing up, the month of February used to be a month to celebrate “love and friendship,” particularly in relation to Saint Valentine’s day; the elusive figure from the early years of Christianity for whom it is difficult to find historical evidence. As you know, this is a welcome occasion for many companies that sell all things imaginable that may be related to friendship and beyond… greeting cards, candy, chocolates, flowers, movies, songs, books, intimate apparel, jewelry, romantic getaways, dinners, and everything in between!

As I reviewed two years ago, this holiday generates spending in our nation to the tune of “teen billions” in sales. Last year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) expected a dip in sales from the previous year: $14.7 Bn in 2009, compared to $17.02 Bn in 2008 –in case you were wondering, no estimates for this particular festivity were publicly available for 2010 at the time of this writing, but a projected increase of 2.5% in sales for 2010 leads me to believe that we might see a slight bump.

NRF’s data also shows that only the end of the year and the return to school generate larger sales than “V-day;” not even Mother’s or Father’s day, Easter, Halloween, the Super Bowl or Saint Patrick’s day inspire our nation to open our wallets as we do in the middle of February. And, of course we are not the only ones stimulating the economic cycles; all around the world, there are variations that celebrate love and friendship, with the exception of cultures that explicitly reject Western influences as do some Hindi and Saudi Arabians.

Where is “the Twist”?
For the past decade or so, I have been observing an increase in popularity, scope, and support for a different type of “V-Day,” the movement created by Eve Ensler, the author of The Vagina Monologues. I would be surprised if you haven’t heard about it, as universities and community centers all over the US have been organizing readings of this work on or around February 14. What started as a presentation of diverse feminine experiences (including one that was highly questionable to say the least) has become a world-wide movement that demands a stop to all forms of violence and abuse against women.

I will admit that the monologues were not particularly appealing to me when their dissemination started. The reviews I read cautioned that one of the segments offered a highly appreciative portrayal of a lesbian rape of an underage, drunken girl, while most other segments categorically condemned –as they should!—any violence perpetrated by males. Critics also pointed out how harmonious relationships between men and women are not given enough “air time” within the event, compared to traumatic encounters. Others have criticized the “hijacking” of St. Valentine’s Day and in a few countries –including European ones like Monte Carlo or Monaco—the piece has been found vulgar or tasteless.

The Redemption of the Monologues?
Still, the activism that this movement has been generating is worth a close look. Among the most noticeable outcomes of the V-Day movement we find a dozen festivals prominently covered by the mainstream media thanks to the support of well-known personalities; thousands of benefit events in cities around the world; and a great deal of grass-roots events with the purpose of educating, raising funds and supporting organizations that year-round help victims of domestic and other types of violence. This year the focus is on the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of many fronts that, thanks to its marginal socio-political status, has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Kudos to Ensler for using in this way the notoriety that her V-Day movement has acquired!!

Another initiative that I find laudable is the grass-roots creation of a V-Men event for 2011. Within the next few weeks, focus groups will be joining men who are willing to contribute their own experiences, thoughts and other resources to stop the violence against women. As a researcher on women’s experiences at the workplace who also happens to be the husband of an amazing woman, father of two little girls, brother of another two great women, and son of a most loving home-based activist, I can only strongly recommend this effort that surely will eliminate the criticism that V-Day is a “man hating” event.

Should We Have a “BV-Day”?
Considering all the disadvantages that women encounter in business –the gender pay gap, the glass ceiling, mommy tracks, double-duty, tokenism, glass cliffs, stereotyped treatment, difficulties in finding mentors and career advocates, to name just a few—perhaps we ought to have a “BV-Day.” At least once a year, we, in the world of Business, should stop to reflect how a very subtle type of violence is perpetrated against some of the smartest, hardest working, underappreciated individuals who just happen to have a body that is different from those of us in the majority.

What do you think? Feel free to send me an email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or post your comment on my facebook or LinkedIn page.

¡Hasta la próxima!

To learn more:

This Wikipedia entry summarizes what is currently known about Saint Valentine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine

The National Retail Federation publishes data on consumer spending through the following website: http://www.nrf.com/

Ensler’s Vday organization’s website is at: http://www.vday.org/home

…measuring time

2009-12-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

Regardless of how we think of time –as a divine invention, human convention, or something else-, there is something fascinating in certain numbers that by themselves create milestones and call us to certain behaviors. For example, reaching years that end in zero somehow inspire journalists, commentators and many others to think about the greatest achievements of the decade or make predictions not just about the coming year but about the next ten years.

Why seven days a week?
But how did society conclude that there should be seven days in a week? Why not eight or six or any other number? Those of us in Western-influenced civilizations would probably attribute this to the story of creation in Genesis (the first book of the Bible and of the Torah); and the Muslims’ Qur’an also describes creation in six days and one dedicated to rest. Still, some sources suggest that Babylonian, Persian and Chinese calendars had seven-day weeks that predate the most ancient vestiges of Jewish civilization.

Some attempts to change the way time is measured include the French Revolutionaries in the 18th and 19th Centuries (1793 to 1805 and then the Paris Commune in 1871) and the USSR between 1929 and 1940. The former was a 10-day week that attempted to reject Christianity while neglecting any consideration of how the French would like working for nine days before having a day to rest! The Soviet attempt to reject Western customs also failed, even though their calendar had a rest day after five work days –after experimenting with only four work days followed by a rest day between 1929 and 1931. Inefficiency, lack of popular support, and other reasons converged to a return to the seven-day calendar.

Still, other cultures have used different lengths for their weeks. A Wikipedia entry documents weeks from three to twenty days, defined by peoples around the world, including some from currently Hispanic areas like the Basque, the Mayans and the Aztecs.

Why 24 hours, 60 minutes or 60 seconds?
Even more intriguing to me is how we currently have 24 hours in a day, each composed by 60 minutes, which in turn have 60 seconds each. A credible explanation suggests that “sexagesimal” systems are based on the multiplication of the twelve phalanxes that our four fingers have (not counting the thumb), times the five fingers in the other hand. Just like the decimal system is allegedly based upon ten fingers from both hands, ancient civilizations would use their fingers to keep track of the number of units they were trading or keeping track of. Alternatively –or complementarily--, there are twelve lunar cycles in a year. An added benefit that enhances this number is that both 60 and 24 are divisible by various numbers, making it easy to split hours, minutes, or days in halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, etc.

Again, the French revolutionaries tried to change civilization by defining a new clock for which the day was divided in ten hours of a hundred minutes of a hundred seconds, yielding 100,000 seconds per day. Having received my basic education and two university degrees outside the British metric system, these attempts make sense in my mind. Dividing multiples of ten is easier to my mind than using other factors. However, these arrangements did not last long.

What if things were different?
It’s hard to imagine what our world would be if we were using another time measurement paradigm. It is possible that nothing would be that different since we still have to customize time to our own professional needs. For example, lawyers, accountants, psychologists, career coaches, music teachers, and so on may use 15, 30, 60 minute intervals for a basic session in which they are able to meaningfully interact with their clients. Ultimately (or, should I say ideally!), the task is what determines the time needed but some standard measure is often needed to be able to make an adequate diagnosis and provide an adequate service.

Have you come across a profession or a service with an unusually short or long billing cycle? What is the “outstanding event of your decade”? What do you expect to be the “outstanding event” for the next one?

Let me know your thoughts or comments on my facebook profile or via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com.

To learn more:
The site: http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars describes a variety of ways to measure time. It is one of ten fascinating “WebExhibits” of an interactive, online museum.

http://www.horology-stuff.com/time/24hours.html gives interesting explanations to why we have 24 hours in a day.

…counting blessings

2009-12-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of the year again…! By the time you read this, hopefully the stats for Black Friday have presaged a better shopping season than last year’s, supporting the economic recovery that we have been expecting and very much need. Yes, the stock market has been rallying with a strength not seen in years and unemployment figures improved just before Thanksgiving, but the two-digit statistic of this “trailing indicator” (meaning that it usually improves only after other indicators like industrial production or retail sales do) is still a major cause of concern –especially when we can identify faces in our family or circles of friends that can be counted among those unemployed!

Yes, for many of us, this is a season to be jolly, as our families have a roof above their heads and the little ones –as well as the older ones—will be receiving clothes, toys, candy, and so many other seasonal treats. When our industries are doing well –or, at least our organizations—our year-end celebrations are a must; the past few months demonstrate how easily the winds may change and, for one, I feel grateful that Education has been enjoying record enrollments, even in the face of exponential rising of tuition fees, a fact that underscores the need for organizations like NSHMBA!

But this is also a time for solidarity. To the extent that those around us are in need, this is an exceptionally fitting time to help. We know that every year there are people in need and our human, gregarious nature calls us to be there for those who are having a bad time –economically, psychologically, or in any other aspects. Still, I would argue that this year is different. With over 10% unemployment and uncertainty in business and political reforms, this year it is easier to find needs to cover!

Things we can do
Of course, the most obvious, perhaps easiest way to help is to give donations to charities, to churches, synagogues, mosques, and many other non-profits that can always use an extra dollar to further their mission. Again, this year might be a more urgent year to offer monetary help, as many non-profits are reporting that donations are down this year, and demand for their services has increased. But you know where I’m going, don’t you?

An even better, and probably more rewarding way to help is volunteering; by giving some of your precious time. Your company might have volunteering programs –let me know if you’ve used them recently!

Added benefits, documented in The Health Benefits of Volunteering, a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service (http://www.nationalservice.gov/) include greater life satisfaction, lower depression rates, longer lives, and better physical health. The report even goes as far as to suggest that volunteering leads to stronger communities and better public health at the state level! States like NV, NY, LA and FL, where the 2006 volunteer rate was below 20% had much greater heart disease rates and mortality rates than states like MN, UT and NE, where the volunteer rate is about 40% or higher. While the evidence offered is not bullet proof –they use regression analyses, which are not appropriate to determine causality by themselves—the point is well taken: volunteer 100 or more hours per year and you may see your own health improve, in addition to witnessing the improvements in those you helped.

Sometimes your family also needs your “spare time” (by the way, you know it simply won’t happen if you try to do this only during the time you have left, right?). This season gives us a perfect excuse to visit the relatives that we have not met for a while! Whether they are in a different country or just across the street, why don’t you try to take advantage of the opportunity to reconnect, to remember the old times and prepare for the next ones?

As always, I look forward to your thoughts or reactions on my facebook profile or via email to drolivaslujan (at) gmail.com. ...and Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! I hope that your worst moments in 2010 are like the best of 2009!!!

Is the ball on your court?

2009-11-02T21:02:00.000-05:00

I know; it is not easy…! Your job is demanding enough, you probably wish you were spending more time with your family or friends already, yet I am asking you to get even more involved on your professional outreach…

Well, for what it is worth, let me tell you that I have found more rewards than I ever expected! As a Professor at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, in 2006 I became the Advisor to our local SHRM Student Chapter; also, I joined the Global SHRM Special Expertise Panel in mid-2008. Serving in these positions does not have any immediate tangible benefits like monetary compensation or even opportunities for other paid projects. In fact, meetings with the students are often held late at night, once they’re done with classes. Also, I have interrupted family vacations to join panel teleconferences, and my tiny budget is hit hard after attending SHRM activities at the national level, in spite of the cost breaks that are sometimes offered to volunteers.

Why go through all the trouble, then? Wouldn’t it be much easier to just do my work and stay home? Well, I have taken very seriously the criticism that many academics are out of touch with practice. These opportunities help me find a meaningful context in which I can actually come out of the ivory tower; I can learn what is going on in industry from folks that have achieved pretty high levels as well as help them with my research, and I can help others that are just starting their HR careers get excited about jobs that greatly benefit their companies and our society. These are, after all, some of the reasons why I became a business researcher and instructor to begin with.

But I often feel that the complementary criticism should also be taken just as seriously: that many in industry neglect their responsibility to help the profession evolve, or help those who are in earlier stages of their career. Attending PHRA events gives me hope that there are many individuals who have taken these responsibilities seriously and invest a great deal of energy to make a difference in the profession. But the proportion of volunteers compared to the size of the membership shows that the more involved are a very small minority.

Perhaps you are one of these members who have been actively working on behalf of the profession, serving as an officer, chairing a committee, inviting others to join the association, etc. Or maybe you have approached your alma mater or a nearby university and told students about your job, about how your work as an HR manager improves and protects your company and even society at large.

If that is the case, congratulations! You know how needed and useful your efforts are! But if it isn’t, shall we play? I think the ball is in your court!

NOTE: The article above was submitted to Perspectives, a publication of the Pittsburgh HR Association (www.pittsburghhra.org).

…cultural differences

2009-10-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

This column could be so much longer… and yet so interesting, in spite of focusing only on surface differences in a popular communications medium like film! And the fact that I’m writing it might actually make it less interesting than it could be, if I wasn’t such a nerdy academic… perhaps a funny writer would make it more readable, but it probably doesn’t matter because if you have read other columns of mine and you’re still reading this, I’m probably not so bad after all…

See? There’s the first of those cultural differences that those of us who live in two (or more!) cultures often have to endure. Self-deprecation is so atypical of individualistic cultures like the one we live in! And not only are we living in the USA, one of the most individualistic nations of all, but also we chose to major in or dedicate ourselves to Business! Putting ourselves down in front of others –let alone in a publication with national distribution—is not a good idea! Yet, growing up in a Hispanic family, with all of its traditions and religious norms, is a major influence that shows up when we least expect it, when we don’t need it, when we wish it had not.

Business negotiations, hiring interviews, even simpler social events –which we know can lead to work-related projects!—are some of those contexts in which we might wish we had not said publicly that “we didn’t think you were the best” for the job, that so-and-so can do a better job (even if you didn’t think so to begin with, but that’s the “polite” thing to do, according to our upbringing, right? ...can you hear Mom or Dad telling you, “Don’t blow your own horn! If you’re good, people will notice and there’s no need for you to tell anyone…”? Well, somehow this doesn’t seem to happen in reality…!). So, we undermine ourselves so often, in spite of the business training, against our friends’ or mentors’ advice, at odds with what we know is best for our company or for our career…

Two films, two cultures

Well, the diatribe above came right after I saw a charming French film called Je vais te manquer (“I will miss you”), at the time that my neighbor in the plane was watching He’s just not that into you. Interestingly, both films have a similar theme: the lives of several people intertwine, showing us love, life, encounters, separations, even sickness and death.

It was interesting for me to see how many brands had excellent exposure in the US film (you know… product placement!), whereas the French one had all the company names (even some that would have been quite “natural” to show, like signs in buildings or at the airport) blurred, in an evidently manufactured way.

Of course, there were many similarities between both films. Several scenes were so badly overacted (I know, I am no critic and probably I would have made the scene worst, but I did not need to be a connoisseur to feel that some segments were so contrived!). And, of course, there were some discrepancies you would expect in the cars, the music, the dialogues, the places, some clothing items, norms about relationships, etc.

Another major difference is that the US film had only young and pretty people as its main characters. On the other hand, the main characters in the French flick ran the gamut from a young child to three older individuals, from a Senegalese immigrant to a racist officer, and many of them looked quite common! I am not saying that Hollywood’s product did not have its share of African American, Asian, gay, and other token characters. And the French film also had some diversity that looked superficial, perhaps compliance-oriented. Still, the demographic differences shown in Je vais… “felt” more authentic; you know what I mean?

Five airports, many cultures

Unfortunately, those were not the only cultural differences I experienced during this trip between Clarion (PA) and Vaasa (Finland). You see, I went through five airports and the corresponding flights and stopover periods during approximately twenty-two hours. I have to admit that I enjoyed the generous service offered by non-US airlines, wishing the food and drink in our domestic flights weren’t as stingy as they currently are. In addition, I don’t think I can ever get over the wide diversity of dressing, languages, and people one can see in major European hubs like CDG in Paris. But I also felt increasingly bothered by some differences that I didn’t think would. For example, people from some non-Western nations were chewing their food loudly, without closing their mouths. Or a family with two very young girls who, in less than 45 minutes, spilled soda on the floor –and surrounding travelers—and left cookie crumbs on my coat. I guess it’s payback from the times my kids have cried on airplanes because they were not aware that jetlag would make them so uncomfortable. But, is it really too much to expect people to cover their mouths while coughing or sneezing? –especially while the H1N1 virus still seems to be a significant health threat in our world…! It's easy to get crabby when you're jet lagged!

Your turn…

What do you think? Would you mind posting your thoughts about the cultural differences that are most salient to you? I know there are hundreds of movies but, if you have seen these two, would you mind sharing your thoughts with me?

¡Hasta la próxima!

…repetition –luxury or necessity?

2009-09-07T20:28:00.005-04:00

Somehow, it had become easy for me to look down on repetition. Visiting manufacturing plants or observing jobs that are not so high in the prestige scale made it hard for me to appreciate the importance of repetition in developing expertise. In classrooms, workshops, and offices, work that is complex, wide-ranging and varied tends to be associated with higher levels of cognitive complexity, education, pay, status, and so on. Rarely do we have a chance in organizations to appreciate the importance of repetition. Sometimes, we might even think it is a luxury we cannot afford!

Remember your coursework that included quality management? Or, if you haven’t yet taken Operations Management or a related course, you will soon read that “re-doing things is waste”! Even the dictionary tells us that “repetitive” is a synonym of “boring, dull, monotonous, tedious, tiresome, and uninteresting.” Not exactly what we would consider graduate level work, right? At least not in the School of Business…

But that is perhaps a major difference between a graduate program in Business and another in, say, Fine Arts or Health Sciences, where students have to practice, practice, practice, before they are allowed to pass from the basic to the advanced stages, much less graduate.

A Lesson from my Children

For the past four or so years, I have been taking my children to music classes (not at the graduate, but basic level) and to martial arts classes. I guess I had forgotten how I learned to play the guitar, and all the time I spent in front of the piano...

Well, before my body’s catabolism clearly beats its anabolism (i.e., before I get much older!), I decided it was time to join them at the gym (actually, dojang, is the Korean word for it). After about fifteen weeks of repeating specific sets of movements –or “forms”—I hope to get my first promotion and receive my first colored belt in a week or two.

In addition, I have been realizing how my children’s musical abilities have improved by virtue of reiteration. I do not even want to remember how the violin sounded whey they were starting “twinkle, twinkle, little star…,” but now it is hard to be humble when they play some classical selections, in arrangements suitable for their age! This has made me wonder… When do managers have chances to get better at work, if most managerial work is not repetitive? Moreover, how difficult it is to appreciate the necessity to do many times the same thing before we can truly master it! Is repetition at work truly a luxury, or is it a necessity?

Well, Parts of Managerial Work Are Repetitive...

Before I start receiving a flurry of email or comments on my facebook profile for ignoring how some managerial work actually involves reiteration, I should include an example or two. Some HR managers have to interview dozens –if not hundreds—of candidates before their companies’ line managers interview or consider those applicants in the hiring process. Also, it is true that MBAs with Accounting or Finance specializations include generating relatively similar reports every quarter, end-of-year, or other term. In Marketing, some colleagues go through well-established seasons of heavy advertising, promotions, distribution, etc. every year. Clearly, going over such cycles every so often, gives them an opportunity to learn and execute their jobs in an increasingly effective fashion. Perhaps your work includes some of this?

In Higher Education, we also run through well-defined periods of time (a.k.a. semesters, quarters, terms, etc.) that require repetition and afford learning opportunities, not just for students, but also for instructors, administrators, etc. Of course, there is the need to renew and update courses and procedures every semester, but individuals that do it too often, end up never consolidating their work in a manner that truly benefits their students or other clients.

What do you think? Do you feel that your work gives you enough repetition so that you can get better at it? Perhaps your work is one in which reiteration is actually a luxury that you cannot afford. Would you mind sharing your thoughts on this matter? You can send me your comments or reflections via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or by posting a comment on my facebook profile (I am also test-driving twitter -@drolivas is my username). I look forward to hearing from you.

¡Hasta la próxima!

…business advice in Spanish sayings

2009-08-01T00:00:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been at work, perhaps listening to a presentation or talking with a coworker when an old proverb suddenly comes to mind, somehow capturing the essence of what is being said? Now, depending on your fluency level in Spanish (or any other language!), chances are that the saying is in such language, connecting you to family, places, coursework you took, or in some way bridging you to a culture that is important to you from an intellectual, emotional, or other standpoint. I find those moments fascinating…!

Remember for example your classes in Strategy, Marketing or Industrial Economics; “First mover advantage” is often mentioned as a strong correlate of success for new product development. You probably have heard “Al que madruga, Dios lo ayuda” (“The early bird gets the worm”). This saying’s relevance for business can hardly be questioned –though I remember arguments to the contrary in some new industries such as Internet book retailers or social networking sites; for example, neither Amazon nor facebook were the first companies to be launched, but currently they seem to be the most successful.

How about “El hábito no hace al monje” (“the garb doesn’t make the monk”)? I remember Human Resources, Marketing and Cognitive Psychology readings that talk about the power –and danger!—of first impressions. This and many other sayings make me think about the wisdom of our great-grandparents. Clearly, before we had schools or formal training programs, dichos (sayings) have provided an effective vehicle to transmit valuable information within a society and between generations.

Still, the value of modern education and of scientific research also becomes apparent when we consider that some old proverbs are reflective of beliefs that do not pass the test of science. Consider “Árbol que crece torcido, jamás su tronco endereza” (“crooked trees will never straighten their trunk”); an English parallel for this saying is “old dogs don’t learn new tricks.” Well, Education research does show that age is no obstacle for learning when we are motivated and have no strong impairment to stop us!

Or, on the other hand, “Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo” (“Because of his age, the Devil knows more than because of being the Devil”) suggests that experience –or old age, at least—trumps cognitive endowments, motivation or other features. There is ample evidence showing that, within certain contexts –track and field sports come to mind—experience or age is important, but not as crucial as an appropriate set of muscles, training, and perhaps some luck. In fact, at the organizational level of analysis, company age often dampens creativity and may work against the firms’ ability to innovate.

What do you think? Have you come across any old sayings –in Spanish or another language—that offer sound (or less than!) advice for managers or businesspersons? My closest business partner–and wife—and I have been compiling a collection of sayings and how they stack up on the face of the available scientific evidence in Management for a future publication. We might also present a paper on this topic in Minneapolis, at this year’s NSHMBA Academic meeting that runs in parallel with the Annual Conference and Job Expo. Would you be interested in participating too?

If you send me a saying (or more!) and how you have applied it at work via email to drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com or facebook (I’m also test-driving twitter -@drolivas is my username), we will acknowledge your help. We are particularly interested in sayings from all Spanish speaking regions, and we are more familiar with Northern and Central Mexico. Look forward to hearing from you!

¡Hasta la próxima!

...multiple commitments

2009-07-01T00:00:00.008-04:00

Is it possible to be committed to two opposite units? For example, can employees feel identified with both their union and their management? What about headquarters and a branch office? Or to more than one country? And what types of commitments are those?

The answer to these questions is intriguing at many levels and for many audiences! Corporations, unions, headquarters, subsidiaries, even countries are at some time or another pitted against each other and loyalty from individuals from these places is often questioned by “the other side.” The answer seems to be a categorical “yes,” though, as is for many other topics in business, “it depends.”

Yes, even though there is great potential for conflict between unions and companies, it is possible for workers to feel attached to and interested in remaining members of both organizations. Yes, it is also possible for people to be loyal to apparently opposing foci of commitment such as headquarters and branch offices, even when their interests may be at odds, as in the case of a divestiture or other tough choices that often have to be taken in business. And YES, it is possible for people who have reasons to feel as part of two (and even more) countries to be patriotic about both. My guess is that many NSHMBA members –and their families--have experienced the latter in a very personal manner.

Of course, when expectations (the “psychological contract” that is created inside individuals' minds) are not met by one of these entities, it is not hard for the corresponding attachment to dwindle. For example, employees who feel “taken” by management or perceive that unions’ dues are not worth the services received from them, are more likely to detach themselves from that focus of their commitment.

Also importantly, there are at least two distinct types of commitment empirically documented by work psychologists: affective and continuance -or calculative. Affective commitment deals with the feelings of identification with and attachment toward an organization, manager, workgroup, etc. This is the type of commitment that we, as managers want to elicit in our coworkers and associates, as it seems to relate to a more cohesive and pleasant work climate, as well as to a more satisfied workforce. Continuance commitment, on the other hand, is more of a cost-benefit analysis that individuals sometimes keep in their mind to assess whether there are alternatives to their current employment. In the first case, employees are committed because they “feel good” to be associated to their workplace, while in the latter case they are committed because they do not perceive a desirable alternative, a situation that may breed cynicism, disengagement, and other unwelcome circumstances.

A meta-analysis –a “study of studies” see Johnson et al. (1999)—analyzed 31 studies with over twenty-two thousand employees in seven countries. Their findings include the existence of commitment toward both union and company, but cultural work values and industrial relation systems on those nations made a difference!

If you are interested in the scientific evidence for this theme -I am sure many of my colleagues would be interested in a research project on this topic, or simply for your own, professional development--, I have added a few references at the end of this column. Also, you may want to read some of the studies that were generated on this topic; all you have to do is search the term “dual commitment” or “dual allegiance” on a scholarly database, and you will find a wide variety of articles that dealt with this puzzle.

What do you think? Do you ever worry about how committed your employees (or your employer!) will be "when the rubber meets the road"? Do you find as ridiculous as I do all those commentators that try to pit Hispanics against main stream America? Feel free to post your comment on my facebook page or send me an email.

¡Hasta la próxima!

To learn more:

Gregersen, H.B. & Black, J.S. (1992). Antecedents to commitment to a parent company and a foreign operation. Academy of Management Journal, 35 (1), 65-90.
Hoff, T.J. (2001). Exploring dual commitment among physician executives in managed care. Journal of Healthcare Management, 46 (2), 91-109.
Johnson, W.R.; Johnson, G.J.; & Patterson, C.R. (1999). Moderators of the relationship between company and union commitment: a meta-analysis. Journal of Psychology, 133 (11), 85-103.
Liden, R.C.; Wayne, S.J.; Kraimer, M.L.; & Sparrowe, R.T. (2003). The dual commitments of contingent workers: An examination of contingents' commitment to the agency and the organization. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24 (5), 609-625.

…panhandling for charity

2009-06-01T00:01:00.004-04:00

“I am panhandling!!!”

I don’t think the first person had left me speaking to the air when I realized it... All those years in college, books and articles authored, speeches and conferences in exotic places around the world, a half-decent salary, and here I am, a Full University Professor, asking for shoppers’ spare change! Should I just have sent a check instead of signing up for two hours of “canhandling” (my friends and I actually were using cans, not pans)? “This is going to be much longer than I ever thought,” I said to myself...

And indeed, the first few times I was ignored or rejected by a passerby’s grumble or some other non-verbal show of disgust, I felt that I was wasting my time and embarrassing myself. Of course, a couple of students and colleagues were surprised to see me asking for donations! I was not the only “canhandler” outside one of our local big-box retailers volunteering for our local chapter of “The Arc -Pennsylvania” (the acronym means “Advocacy and Resources for Citizens with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities” and it’s part of a national organization for disabled individuals). But the thought that so many people were behaving toward me like I had undoubtedly behaved toward other fund-raising individuals in the past was not a very comforting one. Even the cute plastic rulers we were giving away made no effect on the shoppers who were too busy to even hear what I had to say!

“Well, if I volunteered to two hours of begging for a worthy cause, I better get some results!” I thought. I started by shortening the “elevator pitch” I first had used. Heck, the attention span I was being given lasted less than an elevator doors closing! “Would you consider making a donation to The Arc, an association of disabled citizens...” evolved into “Can you give some change to help disabled persons?” At last, people started paying attention to what I was saying!

Then I started seeking visual contact with my prospective donors, thanking them for their attention and smiling even if they did not give any money. Some coins, a few bills started trickling into my can. I also started giving away the rulers to shoppers that were entering the store, and quite a few of them would deposit their spare change in my can when they left the store.

I also encountered a few people that were so jaded –or simply were having a bad day; who knows? A few questioned my motives. Did I work for The Arc? (No...) How much was I getting in return for my time? (Zero!) Did I have a job? (Yes, one of the most desirable jobs you can find!) Did I have a disabled family member? (No, but I have seen what a blessing -and a challenge--they can be to families that do.)

Then, other individuals’ generosity truly touched my heart. Some did not mind taking out a larger bill or two, and often they were not the best dressed or best groomed; in fact, several seemed to be in need of money as well. Others told me how The Arc had made such a difference in their lives by providing much needed services to their loved ones. But the one that got my eyes wet was a teenager with an obvious disability who heard my pitch and beat her parents to her own purse, almost falling to the ground in the attempt. I believe that her disability was not so strong that she could not understand and empathize with others; she also realized that she could help others by helping me with her own resources... and she did, happily and earnestly, even putting herself in danger!

Honestly, these persons made me realize what a difference it can make in other people’s lives to just give a few coins or bills. They helped me re-experience first-hand the hope that collective action can provide on behalf of those who need us. I have known this for so long but it had been a long time since I had actually done something that would make me feel it so strongly. I even have students who take my “Business, Society and Corporate Conduct” course choose and report on a Service Learning experience of their own choice! I do this so they get “outside their comfort zones” and better empathize with those whose needs are much greater than ours. This experience helped me realize that there is much more value in this than we can describe with words.

It might go without saying, but serving others through your local chapter of NSHMBA can also be a source of most valuable experiences. There is incredible value in helping those that are earlier in their careers, or in helping those that are transitioning in their careers. Get more involved! You might learn more about yourself than you ever thought!

What do you think? Would you like to share a similar experience? Have you been in touch with organizations like The Arc that benefit others that are disadvantaged? Send me your thoughts or suggestions via email (drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com), facebook, or LinkedIn.

¡Hasta la próxima!

...writing for "the bottom line"

2009-05-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

"How do you get so many ideas to write about?" Every now and then I am asked this question, especially at events such as NSHMBA's or by my students who know about this or other publications I write.

I thought I would share some of my ''secrets" with you this month. They're not rocket science but if they help you publish an article or two, I'll feel very satisfied. Besides, you might have noticed on NSHMBA's webpage that your articles are always welcome!

1) Define the purpose of your piece. Probably the first thing a writer has to do is make an explicit choice as to what she or he wants to say. Do you want to share an experience you've had? Or a lesson learned that could be helpful to others? Persuade readers about your views? Call them to action? Some articles can have multiple purposes, but they tend to be easier to write -and read!- when you have one primary purpose and maybe one or two secondary ones.

2) Make an 'appointment with yourself' to write. Whether you are writing a 600-word column like this, a longer essay or an opinion piece, a book or a dissertation, you need to give yourself some time in front of your word processor. I know some individuals who prefer a notepad or a typewriter, but the medium is not as important as the fact of allocating a good block of uninterrupted time, far away from TV, telephones, and other distractions, including email or your web browser.

2) Write early, write often. Another suggestion I have read from very productive writers is to start your workday writing, before anyone else in your household is up. I have never been able to follow this particular advice, but I have noticed that the earlier in the day I start writing an article -as opposed to first checking email or attending meetings--, the more likely I will be able to express my thoughts clearly and get more writing done.

3) Carry a notepad at all times. Inspiration for articles does not always come at a regularly scheduled time. I borrowed this practice from a fellow MBA student several years ago, but now I use my PDA to jot down a few ideas that I later finish on a more robust word processor. Corrections, editions and improvements are now easier, in addition to not wasting time while I wait for a service or for the kids to finish one of their lessons.

4) Have a friend proofread your piece. It's easy to get 'tunnel vision' when you're writing. To increase the chances that your article will come across as you desire, have a friend, colleague, or family member read and comment. After he or she tells you what they understood, ask questions that help you refine the piece. For example, you might want to ask whether the tone is as interesting, funny, technical, useful, relevant, or any other characteristic that is important to you. Connect with the first suggestion, above!

5) Rewrite with moderation. There's as much foolishness in believing that the first draft is perfect and not susceptible to improvement as there is in postponing its submission after five different versions have been received acceptably by your proofreaders. Give yourself a deadline or set up a defined number of versions you'll go through and send it!

6) So, how do you get so many ideas to write about? Well, I guess 'one at the time,'... There are some months when I struggle to find ideas and others that I get two columns started. But I try to be ready to grab them when they come by using some of the advice above. Finally,...

7) Enjoy reading your piece in print! Chances are that you'll benefit from adding your publication to your vita. If you are ever interested in teaching a class in a school of business or community college or in writing for a magazine or a newspaper, the more short columns you have written -or longer articles-, the better!

8) Your suggestions? As always, please send me your thoughts to my email address, drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com. I will gladly summarize and post them in the near future! And remember, Michael Beachum, at NSHMBA’s headquarters is permanently looking forward to members’ submission!

...why we work!

2009-04-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

The past couple of weekends have been among the least productive of the year. I could not finish reviewing the papers I expected to or begin to outline the grant proposals I have to submit if I want to get funds for summer research. I could not even get this column started by the 20th of the month, so that I could send it to Michael Beachum, at NSHMBA's headquarters, for its publication in this issue of the bottom line!

The 'problem' (not really, as you will soon find out) was that my oldest son decided about a year ago that he wanted to participate in a Spelling Bee contest, after witnessing last year's local event and watching similar tournaments on TV and movies. About five months ago, he received this year's study guide and memorized it in its entirety. He won the regional tournament in February -beating about 15 nearby school champions in the process--, and last Saturday he won 5th place, out of 108 participants in the Western Pennsylvania contest.

Of course, trying to be the productive professional that I consider myself, I took my laptop and several papers to the state-level event but did not even open the darn briefcase. I was more nervous than my son was and, by the end of the event, I could not even begin to describe how proud I was to see this 11-year old showcasing his knowledge before dozens of parents, relatives and all other top spellers from our side of the state. Though he did not win the first place –which would have implied an expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC to represent the Pittsburgh area at the National level—I was incredibly pleased to see that he was the top-placed 6th grader, as all the other top-five winners were in the 7th or 8th grade.

The following weekend I did not even bother to carry laptop or papers with me. My older daughter participated for the second time in our local Junior Music Festival in three events, and obtained top grades on each of her tests! Again, I spent a significant portion of the weekend talking to other nervous parents who were hoping that their kids would not notice how thrilled, jumpy, yet full of pride we were to see them reaching such impressive milestones in their intellectual growth. Needless to say, I have started worrying about my productivity as my younger kids reach the ages that these older siblings currently have! Well, not really; as long as they keep showing an honest effort to work hard and do their best during these benchmarking events, I think that the entire family will be finding the ways to coordinate and ensure that they have these opportunities to shine and grow.

And that is ultimately the thought that came to my mind when I was getting ready to write this month’s column. A topic that I consider quite interesting as a management researcher is the interactions between family and work roles, often portrayed in the literature as an interface that is prone to conflict. Quite often, my colleagues write in journal articles about the spillover effects between work and family, and the few publications that include Hispanic samples emphasize the high priority that family has for Latinos. We certainly have no monopoly on placing family above any other worldly endeavors, but some of those publications –including popular media outlets—seem to suggest that placing family as the top priority in our lives may have a detrimental effect on career advancement and related outcomes.

Of course, there are many exemplars who challenge this notion. The image of many distinguished NSHMBA members who, in addition to having top positions in their companies, dedicate incredibly long hours of volunteerism to NSHMBA and to other endeavors comes to my mind, often attending the Hispanic Executive Summit or the National Conference and Job Expo along with their spouses and children (you know who they are)! And we don’t have to work too hard to find top managers and other high-level individuals who have sometimes large families (four or more children) and successful marriages along with extremely successful professional careers.

Of course, I don’t mean to suggest that the balancing act is easy to execute, and my own research suggests that our female counterparts frequently have an even more challenging set of expectations to manage because of custom, tradition, and other strong societal forces. But meeting the business leaders –male or female—who are able to play this game successfully is not just satisfactory but very inspiring!

So, this month I decided to take a break from writing about purely-business issues, about the fact that the economy is going down the tubes and about how reminiscent of Latin America’s lost decade the recent handling of GM’s problems by our new micro-managing national administration is. I decided to focus on one of the ultimate reasons why I –and I know that I am not alone—spend some weekends and nights at the office, making sure that my organization and its stakeholders are well-served and their expectations exceeded. Even if you currently have no children (after all, many of our fellow NSHMBA members are in the earliest stages of their family formation process) I know that you can relate: the ultimate reason why we work is NOT so much our career progression or individual wealth. A more essential motivation for many of us is to make it possible for those around us –particularly those that carry the same last name—to also grow and transcend. Right?

What do you think? Please post or send me your thoughts and comments on this blog: http://drolivaslujan.blogspot.com/ or via email to: drolivaslujan@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing –or reading—from you!

¡Hasta la próxima!

...Difficult Times

2009-03-01T00:00:00.008-05:00

This is not an easy moment for me to write this column. Not only am I in the middle of the semester, busy with the usual class preparation, grading, coordinating, and serving in multiple committees, but also I have been feeling somewhat inadequate when I interact with my practitioner friends and acquaintances.

Essentially, the driving fact appears to be that the Education industry hums to a different beat than the rest of the economy. This might actually be good news for organizations like NSHMBA, as many graduate business programs are expecting an influx of students who might find themselves furloughed or downsized, or simply are redirecting their careers. It is not unlikely that the supply side of our annual conference and job expo will see more growth in the near future -let's hope that the demand continues to grow as it has until last year

As a Professor of Management, I have already started to see more students in my classrooms. Also, during the past few months, I have been chairing a search committee to hire two new colleagues (a very rare occurrence as several departments, including mine, had been declined hiring even one position the previous year). This has meant reviewing and scoring a few dozen applications, resumes, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. All of that in preparation for telephone interviews with about ten "short-listed" candidates, and then setting up interviewing schedules for five finalists, working in coordination with a search committee. As I write these thoughts, one job offer has been extended, another one is being processed, and I have my fingers crossed that the negotiations will be prompt and successful so that my colleagues and I are better able to serve our constituents this Fall semester. If any of the offers are declined, I will have to go back to the pool of applicants and see whether others are not just qualified and fit with the department's needs, but also whether they have not yet accepted an offer from another Business School!

I am not trying to portray the Education world as "a bed of roses," in cheerful expansion. I am fully aware that there are several universities that have frozen their hiring plans for a future semester due to the revenue cuts that are expected as a result of the recession (for a few examples, see: Chronicle of Higher Education article on academic hiring freezes). But the fact of the matter is that, while we, educators have no access to seven-figure salaries, ESOPs, well-funded expense accounts, or the first-class treatment that many of our former students had grown used to until last year, neither are we as likely to experience aggressive "right-sizing" as corporate America has in the past few months (knock on wood!).

Simultaneously, I have been serving in several committees within and outside the university (most of the time it's both a pleasure and a career responsibility). One of my service opportunities is within the Society for Human Resource Management's Global Expert Panel, through which I share some of my expertise and obtain a great deal of "intelligence" from the field. It is becoming increasingly apparent to me that even strong companies are facing budget cuts, deferred capital investments, and similar measures designed to weather the economic storm that we are currently navigating. I have felt somewhat inadequate sharing with fellow panelists the good news that are happening in my career or on my neck of the woods. Just imagine sharing that I am getting ready to give a seminar in Argentina or that I just got a workshop accepted for the most important academic conference for Management researchers or that last year I made about seven presentations in cities in three countries, while several of the panelists have seen their travel budgets slashed and one or two have signaled that they are exploring opportunities in other organizations.

As Sgt. Maj. Velazquez expressed in his January column for the bottom line (see p. 2), perhaps this is the "kick in the pants" that our society needed to wake up from "our self-induced greed coma." I agree that we must keep our spirits up even in the face of uncertainty and poor economic prospects. Ultimately, it is what we do within our circle of influence what matters for those around us.

We definitely are "living in interesting times," as the allegedly Chinese curse says...! Please feel free to email me (drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com) or post your thoughts online clicking the link below.

¡Hasta la próxima!

Set-up costs

2009-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Do you hate “set-up costs” as much as I do? You know… the time, effort, and sometimes even money that we have to “pay up front” when we are getting started on a particular course of action; for example, when you want to use a new software program, when you have to provide an introduction for a new employee, when you have to learn a new procedure, etc.

Well, I may be exaggerating a bit. Quite often, there is no small amount of excitement in unpacking and learning something like a new gadget, an upgrade to a useful piece of software, even the learning that goes into starting a new job or transferring location or companies. There are some set-up costs that we not just accept willfully but actually embrace and look forward to it!

Well, these days I feel that I have been feeling more of the former than the latter.

You see, even though the economy has shrank 3.8% in October-December (Q4 in 2008) –after growing by only +0.6% the previous year and +4.9% in 2006), my school, as many others that have been experiencing growth even in the face of a shrinking college population, is in high need of qualified instructors for a variety of positions, in particular Finance, Information Systems, Human Resource Management, Marketing, and several other business specializations.

In my department, this year I have been chairing the search committee that is looking for qualified candidates to staff a couple of positions needed for several years, but authorized only in the fall of 2008. Evidently, we are not the only department in the University that is in dire need of qualified colleagues!

And chairing a search committee reminds me when, as a manager for a small department, I had to sift through dozens of applications to identify suitable candidates that I would feel suitable to interview and send to the Human Resources department for testing and all the related procedures. Only this time I cannot make the decision by myself; I have to reach consensus with the other members of the committee and send a recommendation to the chairperson, who then must send it to the Dean, and so on until the President of the University signs the job offer and starts the salary negotiation. Working for a public employer –as opposed to a private one—in a position that requires shared governance has a number of strong differences and this is definitely one of them.

The scientific side of my brain reminds me that group decisions –when handled appropriately, and I should be able to do so since I have a doctoral degree!—outperform individual decisions when the task is complex. And sure enough, hiring a highly qualified person is a multi-dimensional decision that involves making judgment calls about the candidates’ potential to be outstanding teachers, researchers and colleagues. This is the type of decision that could definitely be included in a textbook or in an exam with the confidence that all the signs point in the direction of preferring a group decision to an individual one.

But still, the interdependence required in setting up interview schedules that involve half-a-dozen people and bringing candidates from just about anywhere in the nation is not so much fun when the semester keeps going and deadlines for research papers also continue their pace. The “set-up cost” of hiring in academia is quite high in both monetary and non-monetary resources. It’s time to count my blessings, such as a very fulfilling job that might not have incredible end-of-the-year bonuses but is resilient simply because there is still a strong need to educate the next generations of managers.

What about yourself? Do you find yourself inconvenienced by the set-up costs of hiring, starting a new venture, etc.? Or do you enjoy the challenge of getting started on an activity that should soon reach a more stable state?

Please send me an email (drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com) or post a comment with your thoughts in this blog (http://drolivaslujan.blogspot.com).

¡Hasta la próxima!

...déjà vu

2009-01-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

This month I am visiting my grandparents' home state, Chihuahua. It has been several years since I last visited my extended family in Mexico and this year I found an airfare that was too good to resist. Besides, my wife and I are raising our kids in a bilingual manner, and there is no amount of schooling, TV watching or web-browsing in Spanish that can substitute for a few weeks immersed in using the language "live," especially when surrounded by the love of relatives and friends from old times.

As you may imagine (or experienced!), walking around the streets where my ancestors grew up -streets and roads I also have traveled several times throughout my life--, often gives the feeling that we know as "déjà vu." These French words literally mean "already seen" but the experience involves all senses, not just the sight. These days I have perceived the smell of a farm that reminds me of my grandfather milking his cows; I have enjoyed the flavor of "requesón," a fresh and creamy type of cheese that you simply cannot find in any modern supermarket, as it has to be consumed very shortly after it is produced. My skin, which is hardly used to the cold and dry Northeastern US winter weather, shows more moisture than I have felt since the warm summer days ended in Pennsylvania; and my ears listen to old jingles and songs that I used to know very well a few decades ago.

In Foreign Relations

In addition to the senses, my mind is also engaged by interesting recollections that might not be very scientific but help me make sense of recent events. For example, browsing some old magazines in the family library, I recalled how José López Portillo, Mexican president from 1976 through 1982 bragged about how his government would have to "manage abundance" (administrar la abundancia) -after Mexico's petroleum exports increased from $500 million in 1976 to $13 billion in 1981. During those "petrodollar-happy" years, López Portillo defied the United States' positions several times, including recognizing the "Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front" rebels in El Salvador as a legitimate political force, or ignoring the 1980 US-led boycott of the Moscow Summer Olympic games. Around the time he left office in 1982, however, oil prices had dropped from over $40 per barrel to less than $30. Other problems like hyper-inflation and excessive foreign debt also plagued the economy to the point that many investors started pulling their money and López Portillo nationalized all banks before he left office in tears, apologizing for having failed the country's poor.

If you can identify current strong men in some national economies that were boisterous a few months ago when the barrel of oil was nearing $150 per barrel and now that we are in the $40's have changed their discourse, you understand why I get the "déjà vu" feeling as I read these magazines.

In National Politics

Another set of readings for which I see very strong parallels involve the election of Vicente Fox in the year 2000, the first president of Mexico that was not from the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional), the party that had been ruling the country since the 1920s. One of the major slogans was "¡Sí se puede!" (Yes, we can!) and the expectations for the new president were so high in 2000, at the beginning of the presidency, that many voters felt betrayed when their particular agenda items were not fulfilled as it was originally expected.

Again, I see so many parallels between the election of Barack Obama this year and Vicente Fox in 2000 that I would hope that somebody close to the President-elect is able to provide the advise needed to avoid many disappointments. Of course, just as with financial instruments, past performance is no guarantee of future earnings, and there certainly are many major differences among the countries and the actors. Still, paraphrasing Spanish-born, American philosopher and poet George Santayana, "Those who cannot learn from others' past are condemned to repeat it."

I certainly hope that this New Year brings along much better news than what we saw in the previous one. As always, I look forward to hearing from you via email (drolivaslujan@gmail.com) or through your comments to this blog (http://drolivaslujan.blogspot.com).

¡Hasta la próxima!

Your Board of Directors

2008-12-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

If you attended the 20^th Annual Conference and Job Expo of NSHMBA in Atlanta, I hope you enjoyed -at least as much as I did!—the many talks and events that happened during those action-packed days. Every time I attend a NSHMBA event, be it at the local or national level, I feel like I get a “shot in the arm” that energizes me and makes me proud of being a part of such an inspiring group of people that care so much about what is going on in their communities that are willing to spend some of their time and other resources giving back to many who are in earlier stages of their managerial careers.

One of the many talks I truly enjoyed was delivered by Ms. Iris Valdez, who spoke about “Creating a Personal Board of Directors” that each of us needs to cultivate and maintain in order to be as successful as possible. Her recommendation stated that our personal “BOD” should have two family members –one that is successful and another one who is not, to provide a balance—, an old boss, and someone we have mentored in the past. Clearly, this advice is very culturally fitting for cultures like ours that make every effort to keep family close. I would only add a “future” dimension to the parameters for choosing personal BOD members: finding a mentor who currently is or has recently been in a position or industry we are interested in reaching in the next five to ten years might be a helpful complement.

Ms. Valdez’s inspiring advice makes a lot of sense in the face of the empirical evidence from the Management research. Recently, my colleague Dr. Gayle Baugh, from the University of West Florida, presented a paper at an academic conference, in which she examined whether “more mentors are better” and concluded that indeed, it’s better to have several advisors, rather than rely on a single one for career advancement. On its face, this might sound like a trivial question until one considers the fact that each mentoring relationship tends to be very demanding of time and other resources if it is to be truly successful (and I really mean “mentoring” instead of coaching, role modeling or casual advising, which are much less involved; for details, see page 8 in last month’s bottom line, in which I wrote about what best mentors DO and what mentoring relationships are NOT!).

I also found very interesting that two of the tracks that NSHMBA’s own BOD has identified as priorities for the near future were referred to in that talk: Enabling Mentoring Experiences and Joining Boards of Directors. The rationale for this second track is that Hispanics in corporate America –particularly at the top levels—are vastly underrepresented. I believe it is a neat allegory that having a personal BOD might be an effective way to join a corporate BOD.

What do you think? Are these ideas likely to increase your interest and involvement in NSHMBA? If you are on either side of a BOD (inside, with some lessons to share, or outside, interested in joining), why don’t you share your thoughts as to how valuable a mentor can be? Are there other more valuable strategies that should be taken into account? As always, I invite you to share your thoughts by emailing me at drolivaslujan@gmail.com, faxing at 814.393.1910 or posting a comments on this blog.

And, of course… Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa, Hanukkah,…!!! Hope that your worst moments in 2009 are like the best of 2008!!!

To learn more, check out:

• Behan, B. (2007). Should you join a board? Video clip by Hay Group Managing Director Beverly Behan; she provides hints to systematically evaluate whether you should join a board of directors. Click here to see it.

• Ragins, B.R. & Kram, K.E. (2007), The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.

...mentors and protégés!

2008-10-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

Do you have a mentor? What about a protégé?

These are two of the most interesting questions that my colleagues and I made to over 1100 highly successful women in nine countries. We found a wealth of information that we have started to share with our relevant stakeholders, and fellow NSHMBA members are certainly a subset of these that might be interested in a briefing!

I hope that you can identify a person or more that in your career has been helpful, supportive, an advocate, more than a colleague or a friend to you. If you can’t, and are interested in improving your career, FIND one! If you have a bit of experience to share and are interested in people or in their organizations, BE one! Even though a mentoring relationship tends to be more productive for one of the parties (hopefully the protégé!), there are many advantages for both. Mentors’ “return on investment” –non-monetary, of course—includes a reputation as a professional that cares and is willing to give back to the community. Most respondents for our survey were able to identify up to eight mentors (average between two and three, with some differences across countries), but not everybody had experienced this type of relationship.

What exactly do mentors do?

Mentors offer at least two distinguishable and measureable kinds of support to their protégés or “mentees”: one is emotional, psychological, or social, and the other has more of an instrumental or political quality. Management researchers call the first one “Psycho-Social Support;” it is put in action when somebody says “Congratulations! Your presentation to the board was great!” or “I feel your pain; you should have gotten the project.” The second type has been labeled “Career Support,” and we can see it happening when a senior person gets the mentee involved in projects or initiatives that provide exposure and future opportunities or is willing to back him or her for increasingly challenging assignments. It’s also important to clarify that mentors are not coaches, guides, counselors, pals, or sages exclusively (see the box titled “Mentors Are Not:”), although they may perform some of these roles.

Mentors often find protégés (or the other way around) in professional associations –NSHMBA is quite likely to be a fertile ground for mentoring relationships to flourish, but also your local chapter for Marketing / HR / Accounting / Purchasing or any other function that your day job involves. Even your children’s school PTA, the neighbors’ group, or your church, synagogue, or similar congregation may provide a context for finding one or more mentors or protégés. In fact, there is some evidence that suggests that “informal” mentoring programs often are more successful than their “formal” or company-sponsored equivalents, but the successful women from our study seemed to indicate the opposite.

The literature on mentoring is full with very helpful information to better understand what mentoring is, how it works, and when it works best. There are also situations in which a mentoring relationship may be detrimental for the protégé –as in the event that the relationship is misinterpreted by outsiders or the mentor exploits the relationship—or for the mentor –for example, when the protégé does not live up to the expectations or abuses the senior person’s reputation. Having a healthy mentoring relationship may have an occasional risk (what doesn’t?), but by the most part it seems to be a “win-win-win” for the mentors, mentees, and their organizations. Recently, researchers have started to publish on emerging trends like “e-mentoring.”

Before I forget! I should tell you that this literature and its results are NOT part of the book that my colleagues and I published in 2006! If you happened to buy a copy, you know that there are many other very interesting themes there, but this is not one of them!!

Interested in mentors?

If you have had a positive mentoring experience or you are interested in becoming a better mentor, I invite you to share your thoughts by emailing me (drolivaslujan@gmail.com), or posting a comment on my blog (http://drolivaslujan.blogspot.com/). ¡Hasta la próxima!

To learn more, check these out:

De Janasz, S.C., Sullivan, S.E. & Whiting, V.R. (2003), Mentor networks and career success: Lessons for turbulent times. Academy of Management Executive, 17(4) 78-91.
Hamilton, B. & Scandura, T. (2003), E-mentoring: Implications for organizational learning and development in a wired world. Organizational Dynamics, 31 388-402.
Ragins, B.R. & Kram, K.E. (2007), The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.

Mentors Are Not:

- Coaches! By the most part, coaches work with their clients on a narrow, specific skill set, using a relatively formal structure

- Guides, Lecturers, or Counselors! These tend to tell you what to do (and maybe even how), instead of just helping you figure it out

- Role models! One may have many of these, but infrequent interaction with them differentiates them from mentors

- Pals! The best mentoring relationships are between individuals with clear differences in status, connections, expertise, etc.

- Always older! Occasionally, a younger person may be an effective mentor for an older person that has recently changed careers or entered into a different environment

- Advisers or Sages! Of course, some mentors are very wise and helpful, but even a “typical Jane/Joe” can be a mentor to someone (see the “Best Mentors Do” box)

A mentor often plays several of the roles above, but each of those roles individually does not constitute a mentoring relationship.

Best Mentors Do:

ü Provide a “sounding board” to their protégés

ü Introduce them to people that can help them –inside or outside the organization

ü “Go to bat” for their mentees

ü Encourage them to try innovative things without taking excessive risks

ü Show respect, confidence, and sometimes even fondness toward their mentees

ü “Let go” of a mentoring relationship when the time is right

In a nutshell, offer psycho-social and career support!

...Evidence-Based Decisions

2008-09-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

When was the last time you examined a business decision? What was the basis for you to make your determination? Did you make it based on what you have usually done? Did you check any recent research developments? Maybe the decision was so routine that you did not feel that you had to check the basis for your resolution?

Make sure you have taken into account the best-available evidence!

Certainly, you might have made your decision based on the very best available evidence. I hope you did! But if some of my colleagues are right, an excessive amount of business decisions are being made for the wrong reasons. If you can find yourself making business decisions based on any of the illustrations from Table 1, please! Keep reading!! …and consider attending the workshops that will be offered during the 2008 Annual Conference and Career Expo, to be held in Atlanta in October!

Evidence-Based Management (EBMgmt) is the integration of (a) best-available scientific evidence, (b) manager’s judgment, and (c) stakeholder values in business decision making. Its roots are in Medicine, Education, and the Behavioral Sciences, where Evidence-Based movements have taken these disciplines by storm. In each of these fields, there are hundreds of professionals contributing to and profiting from the latest developments in the improvement of their areas by focusing on these three aspects. Sure enough, there are critics that find fault in what has been described as a movement that favors a particular type of scientific philosophy (for further detail, see the articles or books in the box titled “To Learn More…”). Still, if we are to judge by the success that Evidence-Based Medicine, Evidence-Based Education, and similar fields have had, chances are that we ought to examine carefully the way that we are making our decisions.

A Smoking Gun…

To illustrate, Sara Rynes and her colleagues have identified seven human resource practices for which a sample of 959 HR professionals had beliefs that actually contradict research findings (Rynes et al, 2007). More specifically, these professionals either disagreed with or showed lack of knowledge of the following findings: (a) that intelligence is a better predictor of employee performance than conscientiousness, (b) that personality (including integrity tests) is related to job performance, and (c) that goal setting is a highly effective motivational tool. The implication is that managers that are basing their hiring decisions on factors like conscientiousness –or any others than intelligence—are running the risk of sub-optimizing their organizations. A similar case can be made about personality being a strong predictor of job performance and about goal setting as a way to motivate employees!

But the problem is not exclusive to HR. In a recent best-selling book, Stanford Professors Jeff Pfeffer and Bob Sutton (Hard Facts… 2006) describe in detail how managers in various fields –Strategy, Leadership, Mergers and Acquisitions, Change Management, etc.—neglect available scientific evidence at their own peril. Of course, the business disciplines are not like the physical sciences, where principles and rules are unbreakable –there is no way around the laws of gravity or thermodynamics, but occasionally, hiring a new employee based on their previous business connections is the best way to increase the bottomline, even if there was a less-experienced genius as a candidate. There are many circumstances that might intervene in making a particular decision more fitting to a set of circumstances.

…and there’s the Beauty of EBMgmt!

Indeed, the fact that EBMgmt is the integration of managerial judgment, best-available scientific evidence and (not ‘or’) stakeholder values, makes it possible to make those exceptions that differentiate excellent from average managers. But you cannot integrate these three components if you don’t know what the best available evidence is, can you?

What do you think? Have you witnessed business decisions that are clearly neglecting what you learned in grad school while you studied your MBA? What are the best sources of scientific evidence in business that you have found so you can use EBMgmt? Please post your thoughts and comments on this blog or send them via email (drolivaslujan_at_gmail.com)! I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!

Table 1. Business Decision Models NOT Based in Best Available Scientific Evidence
Problematic model and illustrations:

(1) Individual preferences such as gut feelings, obsolete knowledge, personal experience, and specialized skills
• “I feel that we should…”
• “What I learned in school (30 years ago) is that…”
• “This has always worked in the organizations I have been: …”
• “I can help with the following tools in which I specialize: …”
• “To a hammer, everything looks like a nail”

(2) Tradition
• “This is the way things are done around here.”
• “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

(3) Bandwagon, dogma, ideology
• “The industry leader started this project several months ago!”
• “All of our competitors are starting this too!”
• “Our company’s first and foremost obligation is toward…”

(4) Superficial “best practice,” mimicry of top performers, hype
• “If this practice worked for HP [or Citi, or any other highly respected firm, regardless of industry], why wouldn’t it work here?”
• “I just found a report/attended a conference/read a book that convinced me that we should…”
• “Dr. So-and-so from Most Prestigious University (or Consulting Firm) just wrote this in her latest book…”

(5) Political pressures
• “Well, you will be on your own if you don’t consent to this initiative…”
• “The boss is really sold out on this; you better choose other battles…”

Source: Olivas-Luján, M.R. (forthcoming).

To Learn More…

Olivas-Luján, M.R. (forthcoming). Evidence-Based Management: A Business Necessity for Hispanics. The Business Journal of Hispanic Research.
Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R.I. (2006b). Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths and Total Nonsense: Profiting from Evidence-Based Management. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Rousseau, D.M. (2006a). Is there such a thing as ‘evidence-based management’? Academy of Management Review, 31(2), 256-269.
Rynes, S.L., Giluk, T.L., & Brown, K.G. (2007). The very separate worlds of academic and practitioner periodicals in human resource management: Implications for Evidence-Based Management. Academy of Management Journal, 50(5), 987–1008.

...getting ready for the 20th!

2008-08-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

Chances are you will be reading this newsletter at the time you are getting ready for NSHMBA's 20th annual conference and job exposition. I hope that is the case, as this will be the 20th, a very special anniversary and a life-changing experience for most of its attendants!

In case you have never attended an annual conference of NSHMBA's, I believe that a ‘trade show’ or ‘trade fair’ is a valuable analogy to describe the event. They tend to be held in convention centers, large hotel ballrooms, trade centers, or similar venues. Their essential purpose is to provide a space for suppliers and customers to meet and establish trade in a specific market. Probably some of the best known trade shows in our country include the North American International Auto Show (NAIS, also known as the Detroit Auto show)–which this coming January will celebrate its 102nd and this year boasted over 700,000 attendants –or the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES, taking place in January in Las Vegas), in which innovative products like VCRs, CD players, DVDs, HDTVs have been introduced in the 41 years of its existence. Even if you haven't been in one of them, you probably have read about the cars or technologies of the future in the business press, television, and other media that cover the events.

Other well-known trade shows focus on specific professions –for example, the annual meeting of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) or the AMA (American Marketing Association)—, hobbies –I have witnessed shows that focus on Japanese comics (anime), table games like dungeons and dragons, in addition to the traditional fishing, hunting, etc.—and any other imaginable human activity that might attract suppliers and customers to form a market.

The Company Side

As is the case for most human activity, advanced preparation is a major predictor of success for its participants. By the time you read this, many of the companies that you will be able to meet in Atlanta have identified their hiring needs so that they will be looking for the best and brightest MBA talent, either specialized in certain areas, or with the general abilities they desire.

A few of these firms will be ready to extend job offers for specific positions during the days the conference will take place. Many others will be collecting résumés to enhance their talent pool for the very near future. And yet another subset of companies will likely be present mostly to support our organization and plant seeds for the longer run, perhaps directing applicants to their jobs websites in a less aggressive stance than the previous two subsets. I have seen some first-time attendants expressing discomfort with the latter; after all, ‘thanks for stopping by, please upload your résumé on our website’ is one of the least expected answers –if not the least welcome—that a job seeker will receive during an event like this. Still, those firms are providing helpful sponsorships to NSHMBA and its members, and I believe we should be grateful for their support.

Maximize Your Conference ROI

On the other side of the table, to maximize the return on all of your investments (money, time, and opportunity) you will be best prepared by bringing a résumé that you feel comfortable sharing with the representatives from those companies you would love to work for, and having sharpened your interviewing skills. You might actually want to use slightly different versions of your résumé, particularly if you already have in mind specific companies and positions you would love to hold once you finish your MBA.

Many MBA programs or their hosting universities have placement offices that organize mock-up interviews so you can practice your role and become comfortable during ‘the real thing.’ While some MBA students might feel that they are too busy with school, travel preparation, life, etc., I strongly believe that getting past the queasiness of the first few interviews is more important than having a perfectly polished résumé.

Now, if you are unable to get your résumé ready or get feedback on your interviewing strengths and weaknesses, rest assured that there will be volunteers in Atlanta, willing to help you find your dream job. Just come as early as you can and take advantage of the services offered.

Also remember that there will be sessions designed to help you delve into both basic and advanced business topics of interest for Hispanic MBAs –actually, most topics will be of interest to any businessperson, regardless of their ethnicity! Unfortunately, I have not seen as many NSHMBA members take advantage of the concurrent sessions as I think they deserve, but it is completely understandable! Many such topics might be more valuable for seasoned MBAs than for first-after-MBA job seekers, and that's a sign of the breadth of value that our society offers to its members.

This leads me to ask: In addition to seeking a job, identifying scholarship opportunities, or attending events for senior MBAs like the Hispanic Executive Summit (HES), what other benefits have you obtained from your membership at NSHMBA?

If you have tips to share or suggestions to make to your fellow members –especially for those that are earlier in the career pipeline—why don't you send me an email, fax, letter, or post a comment in this blog? Consider also writing an article for the bottom line; our publications department always welcomes contributions from members!

Look forward to seeing you in Atlanta this October!!

A PhD’s Summer “Break”

2008-07-02T13:13:00.000-04:00

Once again this year, I'm starting this column in a European city; this time: Barcelona. Once again, I had to leave home for a few days to share with fellow researchers the results of my investigations. This time, I have presented a study that states –with statistical support from data-- that inter-departmental collaboration within a firm is very important for the company's innovativeness. In a nutshell, my research found that, when the Human Resources and the Information Systems departments have a positive relationship and the latter is at least partially responsible for the organization's IT governance, the company will have greater intensity of information technologies for HR purposes.

Having spent several months reviewing the literature, choosing data collection strategies, actually collecting the data, analyzing the databases, writing and re-writing the report, and finally getting a refereed opportunity to present it to the research community, when I read the sentences above it almost feels silly! Shouldn’t it be obvious that greater collaboration between these departments should lead to more technologies? Still, finding statistically significant support for such an assertion is more difficult than meets the eye! Especially when I need to get referees’ approval!

In fact, I had developed a total of five hypotheses for this paper, and only three received statistical support! All of these hypotheses looked quite logical -heck, some would say almost trivial!--but two of them simply did not cut the mustard! If my job was measured in terms of the percentage of hypotheses that receive support, that’s only a .600!

Such is academic life... As a computer engineer about two decades ago –or even a few years later, as an MBA—before becoming a full-time academic, I would have thought that an effectiveness rate of 60% was poor, but I have since realized that this is more than enough to get your work presented in an exotic location such as beautiful Barcelona.

Well, when you think about it, there are sports players that make ten or fifteen times as much as I make (and some players might make 100 times as much!) for having an effectiveness rate that's half of what I am reporting here! Life is not so bad... They exercise and depend on their bodies for a living; I (and my colleagues) exercise and depend on our minds instead.

The paragraphs above are a partial response to Jorge Hughes, from Dallas, TX who asked “What is the life of a PhD like?” and also, “At the end of the day, what makes (or should make) PhD happy with himself?” As you can see, the paragraphs above show a bit of what my summer “break” has been like. Hectic!! I have worked in three major cities (Barcelona, Chicago, and Pittsburgh) in less than three weeks, and I still have to work on several articles that will hopefully be printed before the end of the year. I have to do this before the end of the break or I will be so swamped with classes that no research will get done!

Therein rests a major characteristic of a PhD’s life: this summer break has been hectic for me mostly due to my own choices. I didn’t have to present in all of these conferences or volunteer for all the things I am doing. But I personally feel an obligation to give back to the community through my work, and often it seems that I overdo it. I am sure that this is not the case for many of my fellow PhDs. Then, a succinct response to Jorge’s first question is: “as busy as the PhD wants to make it!”

And for the second question, I can mostly respond from a personal perspective. At the end of the day, it makes me happy to see that I have the power to make a small difference in somebody’s life. In my teaching, I can hardly describe how fulfilling it is to realize that a group of students are more knowledgeable on business-related issues at the end of a semester than they were when we started. In my research, seeing that I can give organizations or individuals some answers to make their work easier, faster, more fulfilling, or more effective, is also a wonderful feeling that makes me go back to my office even when the weather is finally enjoyable in Pennsylvania…

I really appreciate your messages. I feel like apologizing for not being able to respond all the questions I receive, but I know I have to resist the urge. I trust you will understand that I cannot immediately answer all of them but your notes really make this column interactive (as originally envisioned by NSHMBA) and a joy for me to write.

As always, the invitation stands for you to send me your thoughts on this topic by emailing me, faxing (+1.814.393.1910), or posting a comment on this blog (click on the hyperlink below). Enjoy your summer!!!

...getting a doctorate!

2008-06-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

If you are thinking of or have entertained the thought of getting a doctorate, you are certainly not alone at NSHMBA! In a variety of events I have met fellow NSHMBA members who are interested in finding out details about the process of studying a Ph.D., DBA, or similar doctoral degree. In fact, I have even met a few folks that have already started their program and now have even more focused questions, such as how to identify a dissertation topic or what my job-search process was like. As you can imagine, this conversation theme is one that will almost always generate a lively exchange of ideas with me!

You already have a master’s degree –or are in the process of getting one—, don’t you? That means that you are quite likely to have already taken the GMAT (or GRE, which a few business programs accept instead of the former). In addition, even if a master’s is not necessary to enter many doctoral programs, when you already have one, your coursework requirements will probably be fewer than if you didn’t have a graduate degree. Evidently, if you have taken at least a few master’s level courses, you know what it takes to succeed in grad school. So, why not keep going until you get a doctorate?

Needless to say, I have a lot of empathy and admiration for colleagues who might have left (at least temporarily) high-paying jobs to go back to four (or frequently more!) years of graduate school –with all the ensuing sacrifices for them and their families. I have to say that, more than a decade after I began my academic career, I still miss a number of features that were part and parcel of my managerial life. For example, when I was managing a small educational services department, I did not have to file my own documents or micro-manage my travel schedules the way I now have to do it as a full-time professor. But the research, teaching, consulting and service that are now the core of my professional life make the trade very much worth it.

You might be aware that, in business, the proportion of Hispanics that are earning their degrees is dismal, right? (heck, we “NSHMBAns” know how difficult it is to get a master’s, let alone the last step!).

Well, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/minoritytrends/tables/table_25_2.asp), during the academic year 2003-04, 21.7% of master’s degrees earned by Hispanics were in Business (yayyyy!!!!), second only to Education (36.8%). In fact, those were the only two fields of studies with a double-digit percentage, as the third area was Health professions and related clinical sciences, with 7.4%. At the undergraduate level, Business was the largest percentage of degrees conferred, with 22.1%, followed by Social sciences and history with 11.8%. These figures speak very well about the number of Hispanics that are finishing a business education at the undergraduate and master’s levels,… until we read, in the same report that “in 2004, more postsecondary degrees were awarded to Blacks than Hispanics, despite the fact that Hispanics made up a larger percentage of the total population” (nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/minoritytrends/index.asp). This is great news for our African American colleagues (and we should be glad for them!) but this fact tells us that we, Hispanics, still have a long way to go to gain equitable access to education in order to increase opportunities for our families and make our society better.

When we examine the numbers for doctoral degrees, the urgency becomes even more manifest. In the same academic year, Hispanics only earned less doctorates in Theology (2.3%) and in Visual and performing arts (1.9%) than in Business (3.1%); the top three doctoral degrees for Hispanics were Education (18.5%), Psychology (16.6%), and Biological and biomedical sciences (10.4%). You have probably noticed that, with a few exceptions in the Southwest, Hispanic faculty members are quite rare in Business schools –no wonder there is such scant research focusing on Hispanic businesses!

Of course, obtaining a doctoral degree is not only expensive and difficult, but for many MBAs not even a salary-enhancing proposition. AACSB International, the accrediting agency that currently has the most stringent standards for their members reported that average salaries for new doctorates in 2005 ranged from $89.6 to $114.8 thousand, depending on the graduate’s discipline (www.aacsb.edu/knowledgeservices/home/SSExecSummary_05-06.pdf, p. 5). According to PayScale.com, for MBAs with 10-19 years of experience, the average salary is $93.6 thousand (www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree=Master_of_Business_Administration_(MBA)/Salary). This implies that, if you already have a six-figure salary, getting a doctorate might take you back to five figures, after four to seven years of hard work and grad student “pay”!

To make things worse, AACSB-accredited, research universities have much fewer openings at the doctoral level than there is demand for them. Getting admitted to a reputable doctoral program might take a year or two if your GMAT score is not above 600 points (and preferably very much so!). Financial aid tends not to be an issue (again, in strong Ph.D. programs offered by research universities), but I have met doctoral students who have to pay the first or second years off their own pocket.

The “good” news (at least for academic-job seekers) is that there are many academic jobs available for qualified candidates. In the words of an AACSB report, “the competitive market for doctoral faculty also has ratcheted up salaries at the entry level” (www.aacsb.edu/publications/metf/metfreportfinal-august02.pdf, p. 14). In addition, there are many very attractive features to having a doctorate. Probably the largest one is the impact that you can have in society. The nature of intellectual work is such that John Maynard Keynes (the famous 20th Century British economist) once said that “Practical men ... are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.” Your research –particularly as it will be done in a business field—will hopefully strongly influence practice. You will also have a strong and immediate influence in the students that take your classes or the companies that hire you as a consultant. And –to top things off—you might have three months “off” in the summer.

A very useful program for minority candidates is the “PhD Project.” I strongly encourage you to check their website if you are giving serious thought to obtaining a doctorate: www.phdproject.org/.

As always, the invitation stands for you to send me your thoughts on this topic by emailing me, faxing (+1.814.393.1910), or posting a comment on this blog (click on the hyperlink below). Until next month!

...the scores we keep

2008-05-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

The scores we keep might reveal pretty interesting information about us. As MBAs, we probably pay attention to quite a few ‘scores’ around us. The S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the NASDAQ indices tend to be favorites while taking Finance classes –and beyond, especially if we own a 401(k), IRA, or another investment account. But we also tend to keep sports scores such as the win-lose record of our favorite sports team or players -professional, college teams, high school, little league, you name it... our score-keeping often may reveal our geographic affections, preferences, some of our entertainment leanings -or even parenting strategies!-, in addition to the obvious: the sports we like.

The entertainment industries -sports, movies, book publishing, etc.- make it easy for us to keep scores, perhaps as a way to attract and keep our interest in a world that is constantly competing for our attention -and our dollar! In other industries (for instance, retailing, staffing, or in specific business-to-business supply-chain links), 'keeping the scores' may be much harder unless we subscribe to specialized publications or related tracking services -a very smart thing to do if our business is in or depends on how well those industries are doing.

If we do not actively pursue business intelligence indicators for our livelihood, what kind of management style are we de facto choosing? Certainly not a very factual one...

And then there are the individual-level scores we keep: they may be strongly work-related, such as our department's performance levels (balanced score-card, anybody?) or our firm's progress toward its quarterly or yearly goals. Or they may be very personal, such as our golf handicap, latest cholesterol level reading, or most recent time running Cooper’s two-mile test.

What scores do you keep? Are there other score types you would rather not keep?

I guess the only area in which score-keeping is not recommendable is in family relations; it might be developmental or even necessary to 'keep the score' with respect to our family financial goals, but not in terms of the times a family member left the toothpaste or towels out of place or the entertainment center on before going to bed. Even if one has to take specific steps to modify uncomfortable behaviors in ourselves or those around us, keeping those scores is likely to be counterproductive.

There seems to be a psychological benefit to keeping scores. Our own competitive nature tends to pay closer attention to whatever we are counting, in an effort to improve during the following cycle. As the summer months are -finally!- approaching, I invite you to keep the score on the number of steps you walk every day, on the number of dates you have with your significant other, on the “positive” moments (however you define them) you spend with your family, and why not? Also on the number of days you felt you made a difference at work, or the number of favorable interactions you had at work with coworkers, customers, suppliers, or other interesting stakeholders. Write those scores in a grid and track your progress day after day, week after week, month after month… soon you will be trying to improve, and hopefully you will increase the feeling that you are more in control of those important issues in your life.

I can tell you from personal experience! I carry a pedometer in my belt, and every night I write the number of steps I walked. Even if I rarely succeed in walking the ten thousand recommended daily steps, I can tell you that I have observed a stronger commitment to walking rather than driving whenever I have the chance. I hope that this will also translate into a longer and better life, as medical advice suggests! That is not the only ‘score’ I keep in a methodical fashion, but that might be the topic for a future column.

As always, I invite you to share your thoughts on these issues by emailing me (drolivaslujan@gmail.com), faxing (+1.814.393.1910), or posting a comment on this blog (click on the hyperlink below). Best regards!

International travel adjustments

2008-04-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

On my computer, it's Saturday, 12:59 PM and I don't know where my kids --or my wife--are... In reality, there's not much to worry about: it's almost 8 AM at home (in Pennsylvania), and I'm on the other side of the Atlantic, working in France for a few days. Still, my guess is that, as I am writing these lines, my wife and kids are home, and she probably has started to wonder when I am going to call.

You see, I arrived in France the day before yesterday, and between the international flight and the train trips to Lyon, and then back to Paris to give some talks and participate in a conference, I just haven't had a chance to call her to let her know that the trip is going quite well! Partly to blame is the 5-hour time difference -early in the morning, when I have a bit more time--I know it is just after midnight in the US East coast… but my largest problem is the lack of Internet connectivity that I had not experienced before!

The last time I came to make a presentation in France (almost three years ago), wireless connectivity was less prevalent, and I had enough opportunities to go online by using the dial-up account that a friend lent me for the few days I was here. Unfortunately, this time I am not visiting this friend, and I am finding that very few wireless connections or "hotspots" are open to non-subscribers --as is frequently the case in the United States.

I don't know about you, but I have gotten very much used to taking advantage of the generosity that many people exhibit by leaving their wireless access points open to the public. Wi-fi hotspots open to the public have de facto become a "common good" like parks or good weather in many communities in the United States, but not in other countries. During my domestic trips it is very rare that I pay for Internet connection charges (unless I stay in one of the "stingy" hotels that have an extra charge for using their wireless network). Traveling abroad, however, is a different story!

Earlier this year, before the trip to France, I found a similar situation in Mexico. Just by walking around with my PDA seeking wireless signals, I found that there are many wireless hotspots in many neighborhoods but I also found out that most of those access points are password-protected -a situation very similar to what I am currently facing in France.

Could it be that Latin cultures are less trustful of strangers using privately paid for services? Or perhaps telecommunications companies in Mexico and France have done a better job at convincing their customers to secure their networks than their US counterparts? (They certainly have a vested interest in ensuring that their customers do not share these products with non-subscribers!) I really don't know, but that's certainly one of my most pressing needs in my recent international trips... Sure, I know that there are several mobile phone providers offering international roaming and internet access but I am not ready to increase my cell phone bill significantly for a service that I might use only during a couple of weeks in the year!

What about you? What kinds of issues have you faced when traveling internationally? I don't mean to imply that every NSHMBA member has to travel internationally, but, the way the business world currently works, it might probably be more difficult for many managers not to have at least some temporary international assignments or tasks, if not longer-run expatriate "gigs" that might even involve taking your whole family with you.

Studies on expatriate assignments suggest that more women are nowadays taking them than it used to be in the mid-nineteen nineties (seek Nancy Adler’s articles, for example). Other interesting findings include the fact that when the "trailing spouse" is satisfied with the experience, the chances of a successful stay are tremendously increased.

But beyond Internet connectivity or familial adjustment, I have some anecdotal evidence suggesting that when ethnic minority members take international assignments, they face issues that are different to the ones faced by mainstream managers. For example, a member of my family was sent by his company to Latin American destinations because he had a basic understanding of the Spanish language (sometimes a stressful proposition as he had only taken a few Spanish courses at school and his vocabulary was not very extensive). Fortunately, after some time, study and more trips, his fluency increased tremendously but at first some of these assignments appeared to be more based on his ethnicity than his competences, and that offered a number of challenges that he was not immediately ready to undertake.
This month I invite you to share your thoughts on these issues by emailing, faxing (+1.814.393.1910), or posting a "Comment" on this blog.

Best regards!

...the management skills we teach our kids

2008-03-31T13:04:00.000-04:00

As I was writing these lines, my RSS reader picked up an interesting news release: Spanish-language broadcasters have a relatively high incidence of fast-food commercials that may be partially responsible for the 'obesity epidemic' that young Latinos are exhibiting in our country (Thompson et al., in Fox et al., 2008). According to the article, “30 percent of all Hispanic or Latino children in the United States are overweight, compared to 25 percent of white children,” and “50 percent of all Hispanic or Latino children have a television in their rooms, compared to 20 percent of white children.” Doing the math is not so complicated even if television is unlikely to be the only factor.

I am also hopeful that, just as in the case of substance abuse or pre-marital sex, even the highest amounts of advertising are unable to match parental example and influence. This line of thought made me come up with the theme for this month’s column: as MBAs (already minted or in process), what management sills are we modeling for our kids?

We model Financial management skills in topics such as savings, budgeting, cash flow, debt or record-keeping whenever we allow our kids to see that we save or otherwise keep good track of our money. We also model Management competencies like leadership, conflict resolution, the power of first impressions and related interviewing skills, whenever we act in front of our kids even in informal organizations like groups of friends or family reunions. I am sure that we can continue to apply this argument to areas such as Marketing, Accounting, Operations, Information Technologies, Strategy, etc.

But this is also a double-edged sword! Our kids are probably going to learn from both our productive and ineffective modeling, which reminds me: if we want the Latino vote to matter, don’t forget to vote this year, and make sure that “your kids” notice!

Tomás Kadala from ResearchPAYS, Inc. in New York tells us “to fully understand the deteriorating relationship between parents and their children (or adults with their younger family members) one must test the foundations of their core values. For most Hispanics the traditional family hierarchy where the parent’s decision is considered final, children tend to seek and accept instruction from an adult easily, hence, performing well in school as well as in their daily interactions with others. On the other hand, in families where authority is lacking usually due to adults having to spend more time at work than at home, the crucial moments of connecting with a child are lost. Compared to a management team within a company, if the CEO or senior management’s presence was never felt by its employees, a company would easily lose focus and potentially overspend or invest unwisely. One might argue that the adhesive forces keeping a firm working under good or not so good management is the level of compensation. Let’s face it. Without the assurances of receiving competitive salaries, employees would not show up to work. What about within a family structure where the incentive to cooperate cannot be measure in dollars and cents? Clearly a different bonding agent than a steady salary is required. Adults must draw from a core set of values that has been handed down to them by their own parents and grandparents. When one does not exist then problems such as obesity, drug abuse, and school drop outs can only be expected.”

I realize many NSHMBA members probably do not have kids (yet?), but I still think that all might relate to these thoughts. After all, those who don't have children of their own are likely to have nieces, nephews, neighbors, or other young acquaintances, right? If you have a suggestion, experience or reflection along these lines that you would like to share with your fellow NSHMBA members, I look forward to hearing from you on this (or any other business issue that you would like to explore) via email, fax, snail mail or blog --the latter is preferred, just click on the "Comments" link below!.

Reference:
Fox, M. et al. (2008). TV ads in Spanish may fuel kid obesity: study. [Reuters on Yahoo! news.] Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080219/hl_nm/obesity_ads_usa_dc_1/.

Valentine's Day and Business

2008-02-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

February is the “month of love” for most retailers, advertisers, and many other businesses. Last year, estimates from the National Retail Federation expected total Valentine’s Day spending to reach $16.9 billion. For the entire current year, even with the economy slowing down, there is an expectation for a conservative 3.5% growth in retail sales. We see a smörgåsbord of jewels, flowers, chocolate boxes, cards, and other “Valentines” that many individuals, young and old exchange to celebrate perhaps our most magnificent emotion. For many of us, these signs of affection and appreciation are reserved for the non-work spheres rather than the workplace—the specter of sexual harassment as a form of discrimination looms large. Still, research on the business world has detected some interesting exceptions.

For instance, the work of Dr. Lisa Maniero suggests that under some circumstances, companies might benefit from having a culture that is open to interpersonal emotional relations. She has been quoted stating that “Much to my surprise, I found people involved in office romance were more interested in their work, more motivated, more energized, more creative, and extra-productive because they didn't want to get criticized by their peers that the romance was causing a falloff in productivity” (Meyer, 1998).

Mariela Dabbah (co-author of The Latino Advantage in the Workplace) also tells us, in a proactive voice: “I think we all know from experience that when we have friends at work we are much more productive and engaged in what we do. In his book ‘Vital Friends,’ Tom Rath talks about the results of an extensive Gallup poll about friendship, life satisfaction and workplace opinions. It is clear from the research that people with at least one best friend at work were 96% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their lives. When asked if they would rather have a best friend at work or a 10% pay rise, most people chose to have a friend. So, it may be time to look at encouraging strong personal bonds amongst employees. And Valentine’s Day may be time for all of us to send warm ‘thank you for making my work day more interesting’ cards.”

Finally, Cesar Perez (fellow NSHMBA member) recently wrote to me with several very intriguing comments, including one about the stereotypes that we, Hispanics, have to face.

One such stereotype could be related to the fervor that is so easily assumed to be present in Hispanics. We all know how strongly associated in our society are the words “passion” and “Latino.” Latino music, art, culture, and even places evoke beauty, infatuation, energy, and similarly related emotions that are well synthesized by the word “passion.” There might be some returns to this, but the risks might also be high.

For example, a person (Hispanic or not) who is perceived as “passionate” about her job might more easily enter difficult assignments that often lead to faster career progress. By the same token, in some firms, an individual who shows his enthusiasm for a particular project or line of work might be prevented from executing the most strategic parts of the project for fear that he might appear exceedingly anxious or “unprofessional.” Of course, it might be a matter of having an appropriate track record: to the extent that the enthusiastic person has earned a reputation for delivering results, she will probably get the opportunity.

In your experienced as a Hispanic MBA, has showing your “Latin passion” been a disadvantage or an advantage for your career? Why, or how? I invite you to share your anecdotes and insights.

I would also love to hear from you if you have specific examples about the larger issue of stereotypes regarding Latinos. As Cesar stated, “I know this is not unique to Latinos but we seem to be in the news recently so the issues are coming up more frequently.”

I look forward to hearing from you on this (or any other business issue that you would like to explore) via email, fax, snail mail or blog --the latter is preferred (just click on the comments link below).

Have you mastered your new technology yet?

2008-01-01T03:01:00.000-05:00

In many a firm and for many a manager, January is a month for deployment of new technologies. New budgetary cycles, the start of the New Year, perhaps even a few days off in December, all seem to collaborate to make it possible to start exploring new ways of doing things, sometimes using new gadgets, sometimes using old ones in different ways.

Certainly, this is not the only month, as we all know, for example, that our friends from MicroSoft decided to launch their new operating system and software suite last summer. It was interesting for me to hear all the negative reactions against having to learn the new interface with more powerful features that are likely to hog the current computing resources. I heard very few people talk about the added benefits of the newest release!

Still, many of these same people are now happily exploring the new features in their new cell phone, PDA, e-reader, software, camera, website... --or combination thereof! It seems as though adopting a new technology individually is much easier than adopting a new technology in a group context (e.g., within a department or organization). What do you think? What have you experienced, individually, or in your organizations? Have you seen any patterns that have helped you minimize resistance to a new technology?

David Riojas (MBA 2008, McCombs School of Business at UT) tells us that “Adopting new technology in a group context is harder because in many cases groups need to use the same technological standard in order to interact in an effective way. For the same reason, it is common to see groups that give up the benefits of the new technology for the use of an old one that is familiar to everyone within the group. On the other hand, it is easier for individuals to adopt a new technology, especially when this doesn’t affect the way they communicate with people that still use an older standard or tool.” His comment highlights the effects of interdependence in groups.

To complement, Al Escobar (Director at Cima Associates in Oxnard, CA and NSHMBA Chair for the South West Region) writes: “Change is the only constant in the universe, yet, irrespective of where or how it is encountered, it generates resistance at some level. In general, change for the sake of change will yield the greatest resistance. For example, everyone knows what they need to do to lose weight, yet very few take steps in that direction. Still, personal change is an individual decision, which makes it easier to deal with because one has control.”

He continues: “Group change, on the other hand, gives way to external variables for which one may feel loss of control. This creates challenges for organizations attempting to improve processes, productivity, or any other goal. Some time ago, an organization negotiated a better telephone plan for all its employees. It then notified all employees that old mobiles would be replaced with phones. Some employees freely welcomed the new policy, while others felt loss of control and resisted the change being "imposed" on them. Eventually all yielded, but it took time. Individuals are more open to change on a personal level when there is a social component and or when they experience a change in life such as moving to a new area, obtaining a new job, etc. All in all, change is not without challenges, but these can be minimized through careful planning and may include tools such as end-user buy-in, perceived benefit gain, input vs. output, and others.”

In a book chapter that is about to be published (Technology, Outsourcing & Transforming HR. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008), my colleague, Dr. Gary Florkowski (Katz Graduate School of Business) and I offer research-based suggestions for enabling a smoother adoption of information technologies in Human Resource departments. Among these suggestions are:

Identifying early adopters, early majority and other eager users to focus your training efforts on them and minimize the probability that the technology will be accepted

Building a business case that has not just financial but also behavioral and other relevant performance indicators

Accepting that 100% adoption of a given technology is, in most cases, unattainable

The list of suggestions is obviously much larger than what I can include in this column, but these three seem to be often forgotten. The investments to upgrade our work technology –whether individually or organizationally—are too large to neglect the lessons from the field of change management. I hope these thoughts are helpful for your work as a leader that tries to improve your team and your own performance in your line of business.

For February, the “month of love”…

We all know how strongly associated in our culture are the words “passion” and Latino; they are almost used as synonymous. In your experienced as a Hispanic MBA, is this a disadvantage or an advantage at the workplace? Why, or how? I look forward to hearing from you via email, fax, snail mail or blog --the latter is preferred: http://drolivaslujan.blogspot.com/.

Cycles: Leveraging Endings to Maximize Beginnings

2007-11-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

A manager’s life is full of cycles. Some cycles are brief such as a talk that has to be given periodically to new employees, suppliers, or customers during a day’s worth or a week. Some others are prolonged like a sales season or the execution of a strategic plan. Every time a series ends, most likely we are approaching the beginning of a new one. What do you do at the end of a cycle to take full advantage of the new one that is beginning?

This is an important topic because not leveraging the closing stages of a cycle might set us up for repeating errors from the past. Even if we have been doing our job for years and are unlikely to make any flagrant mistakes, there is also the risk of becoming complacent with our performance and missing out on improvement opportunities. As it has been said, having ten years of experience is radically different from having experienced the same year ten times!

A good start might be finalizing “clean-up” activities that almost naturally come with the end of a cycle. Just like nature’s seasons have just imposed on us raking leaves, closing pools, winterizing our vehicles, shoveling the snow, and so on (provided you live in this type of weather!), the end of some cycles in business usually implies that certain activities must be performed, like accounting statements, compliance reports, performance appraisals, etc. Making sure that we execute all “closing” procedures thoroughly is perhaps the basic level.

Remember the first time you transitioned from one cycle into another as a manager? Or as a worker, or a student? This experience is not entirely different from passing from a set of your MBA classes into the next, or even from one year into another during our college studies. Quite frequently, we feel so exhausted from the conclusion of one stage that we want to disconnect entirely in order to “decompress” or do other things that we had to put off as we were approaching the end of the previous cycle. Beware! The fresher an experience is in our mind, the easier it is for most of us to reckon and learn from it to maximize the next cycle from the very beginning.

Julio Rocha, CEO and President of Rocha Financial Group, shares the following from Maitland, Florida: “As an entrepreneur, I use the end of every cycle (Quarter or Year) as a momentum builder for the start of the following cycle. I aim to perform my best and surpass the goals I have established. Why? This way one will always experience constant growth. Working hard at the end of every cycle does not guarantee a great finish or a great start for the following cycle but it sure keeps one in the race for success.”

Marcelo Espinosa-Trevino, President of the Orange County Chapter of NSHMBA says: “Personally, I schedule about an hour to reflect on the experiences and think about what worked, what didn’t work and most importantly, is there anything I would have done differently and how? I also think a lot about how we live in a constantly changing environment and how important it is to quickly adapt to those changes and anticipate what’s coming. I learn from previous mistakes, read about my industry and talk to peers and experts, which helps me react to different challenges during the next cycle. I also put together a yearly plan and review it for a few minutes at least once a quarter to ensure my work and projects are aligned with my goals; then I make adjustments as needed.”

Finally, Art San Martin, President of the Cleveland Chapter of NSHMBA (by the way, congratulations!! Effective this past October, this has obtained “Full Chapter”status!) tells us that: “Recognizing that transitions are natural to life and knowing that change is probably the only truly constant are key facts that have improved my understanding and appreciation of ending and beginning cycles. Acknowledging what strengths and [weaknesses we have] certainly provides a preamble to the beginning of new phases. Being humble about one’s achievements and positive about one’s shortcomings provides solid foundations to continue building both a fulfilling personal life and successful professional career.”

What do you do in order to “take stock” and leverage the endings of your cycle as a manager? I think this is a most timely issue to explore both individually and professionally, as we approach the end of the year.

I wish you a most successful closing of your cycles. May your life be filled with the professional satisfactions that will make you a better member of your family in 2008. Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa, a joyful Hanukkah! (…and an apology in advance for not including so many other end-of-year traditions that we, Hispanics from so many backgrounds have…) I look forward to hearing from you via email, fax, snail mail or blog --just post your thoughts in the Comments link below.

Are the business disciplines unreliable?

2007-11-01T11:16:00.000-04:00

Have you ever felt that your MBA gives you more questions than answers? Let me give you an example; I look forward to hearing from you if you would like to share other examples with your NSHMBA colleagues; I promise to give you full credit for your idea!

As MBAs, most of us have spent between 1.5 and four years of our lives -as well as several thousands of dollars- applying for, studying through, and transitioning from a graduate program into a better, brighter future. Clearly, we expend all of these resources because we believe there is a lot of value in studying an MBA -and, indeed, there are studies out there that show that people with graduate degrees earn more money, promotions, and similarly desirable work outcomes for themselves and for their families!

Of course, these outcomes do not come about just by showing a new piece of paper to an employer; I do not know many MBA's who have obtained salary raises or promotions when they graduate while working for a particular company in the private sector. For part-time MBA students, newer responsibilities come their way as they learn new tools while studying the different business disciplines. Full-time MBAs are more likely to experience a radical shift in their work before and after the degree, but I know that there are many variations along these lines.

Our MBA classes give us access to knowledge that would be difficult to find on our own, in addition to providing us with access to social capital -our professors and fellow MBA students- and ultimately to a diploma that signals proficiency in the disciplines required for managing organizations.

Yet, from time to time, those classes might give us more questions than answers, as in the topic about the importance of money in motivating employees. If you have read chapter five in Jeff Pfeffer and Bob Sutton's book Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths & Total Nonsense (2006, Harvard Business Press), you might be under the impression that using money as your main tool for motivating employees is extremely dangerous and very likely to lead you to disaster! Pfeffer and Sutton mount a very solid case against placing too much importance on money by reviewing studies and providing examples of companies that suggest that money (in particular pay-for-performance plans) should be used only under very limited conditions.

On the other hand, Sara Rynes and her colleagues state in a recent peer-reviewed article (Academy of Management Executive, 2002; 16(3): 92-102) that money is indeed a major source of motivation -perhaps the most important one that managers will have at their disposal to accomplish their job. They also marshal evidence from a variety of studies to support their thesis: money is the most important motivational incentive (page 100).

What gives? Obviously, the relationship between money and work motivation might be more complex than meets the eye. What do you think? What's your evidence that makes you think this way? How do you make sense of the fact that two highly respected sets of researchers seem to hold widely divergent views on the same--and extremely important issue! Clearly, this is not a trivial matter!

When asked about this dilemma, Regina Cuellar-Lee (President of the Indianapolis Chapter of NSHMBA) reflected on the fact that some jobs are so demanding on our personal lives that we expect higher pay than for other jobs that are more fulfilling. On the other hand, Mickey Quiñones (Associate Editor of NSHMBA's Business Journal of Hispanic Research) and I discussed how difficult it is for men to even think about a cut in pay -yet many women experience it frequently due to life events such as the arrival of children or the need to take care of relatives in difficult health conditions!

Maybe you have faced similar dilemmas in other business disciplines. I look forward to hearing from you via email, fax, snail mail or blog --the latter is preferred; just post a comment using the link below...

Rigor? or Relevance? …in your MBA

2007-09-21T09:36:00.000-04:00

This is a thorny issue, so, let's tackle it head-on. In a spirit of full disclosure, I have a double stake on this theme, because I earned an MBA and I have been teaching in various MBA programs for some time. I am interested in your reactions and your experiences; as I stated in last month's column, please contact me via email, regular mail, or any way you want! (My email to keep track of this column is: drolivaslujan@gmail.com or you may post comments directly below.) The basic topic this month is: Have you found rigor or relevance in your MBA studies? Let me explain what I mean.

A debate that has been running among academic circles for at least some sixty years is whether Business Schools should be rigorous or relevant. You may have read periodicals like The Economist, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, and other publications dedicated to practicing managers adding to the debate at times, bringing scathing criticism to the work that is being done in many business schools around the nation.

Herbert Simon, 1978 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences wrote about business education in the 1950s that it was "a wasteland of vocationalism that needed to be transformed into science-based professionalism." He was advocating the use of scientific methods in business, steering business schools away from the "apprenticeship" or "commerce school" models that used to train office managers, private accountants, administrative assistants and salespeople before business schools became prevalent at the university level. Seeking rigor in their work, academicians were successful in bringing ideas and methods from the "basic" sciences like Psychology, Economics, Social Psychology, Sociology, even Anthropology, History and some Natural Sciences into business schools.

However, many suggest that they went too far in making business schools "rigorous" and scientific, to the point of irrelevance! Most of the research reports that appear in the most prestigious journals are considered unreadable, inappropriate, esoteric, or downright useless by the managers that have to make daily decisions to compete in our business environment. The questions addressed by such articles, the techniques used and their writing style is sometimes seen as “pontificating” or of no consequence for the manager needs advice on a given area such as what is the best way to dismiss an employee or salvage a deteriorating work relationship.

In 1994, Donald Hambrick, President of the Academy of Management –arguably the most influential association of Management researchers in the world—lamented the lack of relevance of the association. Since that time, several of his successors have followed suit, expressing their disappointment with the research that many business schools produce and the lack of professionalism of many of their graduates.

I am sure you have read relatively recent articles in the popular press that not only echo these thoughts, but even blame (at least partially) business schools for the lack of ethical training demonstrated by managers at Enron, Tyco, Adelphia, Parmalat, and others like these. Without entering the debate on business ethics at this time (Let’s talk about… that sometime in the future, shall we?), I would like to ask you to reflect on those MBA classes you are taking (or took sometime ago) and write your thoughts on any of the following ideas (or at least think about them):

What type(s) of rigor do you see in your MBA classes? How do you recognize it? Is it in the application of the scientific method? In the use of theories, algorithms, systematic procedures, models, statistics, etc.? Something else?
Have you found relevance in the lectures, exercises, projects, presentations, papers, and so on? If so, how? Where and when have you been able to apply what you learned during your MBA?
What would be your suggestions to improve the status quo? Does this debate resonate with your feelings and experiences?
If you have been so lucky to find rigor and relevance in your MBA (or at least one of the two), please let me know!

Excluding the possibility that I receive a deluge of responses, I will be happy to include your name and institution in a future column. Also, if you are interested in the bibliography I used in preparation for this month’s column, don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to reading your thoughts!

Welcome to "Let's Talk About..." blog section

2007-07-31T14:38:00.000-04:00

I hope you are visiting this blog after reading my invitation in NSHMBA's the bottom line newsletter. (If you reached this blog by happenstance, feel free to visit the links above to learn more and contact me if you have any questions.) Anyway, we are trying to elicit more interaction with our readers. I will do my best to give you credit for your ideas in the newsletter. You may publish your reactions as comments using the links below the different ideas we currently have on the agenda, or email me at drolivaslujan@gmail.com.

Also, feel free to submit your own topic! I will personally moderate all comments to prevent unexpected spam or unacceptable content in the blog. I should also state that some topics are more appealing to me, as a function of my background, and I will be more inclined to bring them up in the bottom line. The usual disclaimers also apply: the contents of the column will represent my views (and hopefully some of yours too!) and not those of NSHMBA’s or my employers’; lastly, whenever I am attending conferences or in exams, I will take longer to reply to your messages.

Thanks for your help!!!

The Technology Advantage

2007-07-31T14:34:00.000-04:00

The Technology Advantage –what are the pros and cons of being an early adopter of “management technologies”? Certainly, there is an "aura of coolness" when you can show that you are using the latest gadget, software package, etc. but there must be much more than that, right?

The Technology DISAdvantage!

2007-07-31T14:29:00.000-04:00

Share with us your experiences (pros or cons) of being a “laggard” adopter of the work-related technologies. Maybe you dragged your feet to adopt an electronic directory, the latest version of a computer operating system, a PDA or text-messaging technology. If that gave you any type of advantages (this is a vastly undocumented issue!), please let us know!

Being the "Token Latino"

2007-07-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

If you have ever been the “Token Latino” at work (the only Hispanic in the organization, often suffering the typical stereotypes about it), please share your experiences and suggestions –the good, the bad and the ugly!

Love and business

2007-07-31T14:20:00.000-04:00

We all know how strongly associated passion and Hispanics are seen as synonymous in our culture. In your experienced as a Latina/Latino, is this a disadvantage or an advantage at the workplace? Why, or how?

Spanglish in the marketplace

2007-07-31T14:17:00.000-04:00

Do you also cringe sometimes when you hear or read a bad translation in a product package, a book, a movie, on TV? Please post examples, how you think this hurts (or may help?) businesses, what you think should be done about it, or anything that you find related

Evidence-Based Management to professionalize our MBA practice

2007-07-31T14:02:00.000-04:00

Please post your comments or suggestions about "Professionalizing our MBA practice through Evidence-Based Management." I welcome your experiences and ideas, but if you have links or articles to share with me and with your fellow NSHMBA members, I will be glad to share them as well. Thanks!

A random collage

2007-07-29T17:45:00.000-04:00

Hello world?

2007-07-29T17:00:00.000-04:00

In my explorations to find decent blogging options, I came across the arguable "mother of all blogs:" Blogger.com, nowadays owned by Google. Along with this "hello world" note, I am posting a collage of my wife and myself in interesting places. Feel free to leave your comments or suggestions! (Caveat: all comments or postings are moderated.)