Hispanic women leadership for the new millennium

Hispanic Women Leadership for the New Millennium

Hispanic-American women have struggled for centuries to get their respect and acknowledgment. Hispanic women have been at their helm, whether it is in the home, workplace or in the society. (Observation focuses on women leaders) in the struggle for restoration of social, political and economic righteousness, the women of Mexican Revolution with the rifles on their shoulders, commonly known as Adelitas, were equally devoted to the cause of the revolution and were jeopardizing their lives at the war front equally with their men. Presently, the same fortitude of Adelita remains to exist on the eve of the Hispanic women's struggle for equality and their status in the society. While the Hispanic community emerges to attain success in the United States and abroad, we are presently accessing the era of the Hispanic women. Hispanic women have adhered to their specific traditions and mixed it with the strength and modernization characteristics of the United States, generating new scopes in a wide range of careers and professions. (Gutierrez, 2002)

Most Hispanic women are bringing out the skills to the work place which they have attained by means of their practice as wives, mothers, and community workers. Many other Hispanic women acquire stimulations in their traditions and families. While the Hispanic population appears to grow, a fresh acknowledgement is being forged; known to be the Hispanic-Working woman. An increase in the Hispanic population to the tune of 58% is noticed during the last decade from about 22.4 million in the 1990 to 35.3 million in 2000 is being noticed with Hispanics practically representing the African-American community as the largest minority group of the community. (Gutierrez, 2002) as per the Catalyst, a women's group, the females are reported to hold 15.7% of the corporate officers in Fortune 500. Women are occupying about 7.9% of the clout positions at these companies, and they comprise about 5.2% of the top money-earners. While such numbers are not so huge, in consideration to the women representing about 46.6% of the U.S. labor force, all of these statistics have soared up during the last couple of years. (Chavarria, 2003)

The Hispanic women are remarkable contributors in such upswing. As per the projections made by Labor Department the number of Hispanic women in the aggregate workforce is expected to progressively increase from 5.7 million in 1998 to 8.5 million by 2008, considered to be the largest growth of about 48% among all female ethnic groups. In this way the Hispanic are expected to account for about 13% of the total workforce in the United States and approximately about one third of this figure will be women by the year 2008. They are engaged primarily in the technical, sales, and administrative sustenance groups of comprising of about 36.8%. In the service sector the engagement is about 27.7% and similarly about 18.1% are engaged in the managerial and professional category. As per the estimates made by the Center for Women's Business Research the Hispanic female accounts for the ownership of about 470,344-business establishment. Such estimation is about 39% higher than the aggregate of 1997. It has been observed that the women and more particularly the Hispanic women are showing great success in all the fields. (Chavarria, 2003)

The Hispanics are benefiting from the rewards of being in the mainstream levels of the economic and Cultural Revolution more than earlier. The business people more specifically the advertisers, whose living relies on watching on such rise in the purchasing power of the population and enhanced affluence and efficacy, have succeeded in observing such considerable progression. Every year more and more companies desire to restructure them as being multicultural and as the purchasing power of the Hispanic community enhances, even the luxury brands like Jaguar are ready to tailor their advertising propagandas for the Hispanic consumer. Such a trend has focused on the benefits of the Hispanic women leaders in the job market. Having a total of 5 million Hispanic women in the U.S. workforce, most of the companies are taking care of the essentials of minority women employees and becoming accustomed to such a new era. (Gutierrez, 2002)

Many issues are associated with the Hispanic women leaders: those which are regarded as of much concern are: the number of Hispanic executives and board members, mentoring programs, management / leadership progress, opportunities relating to education, support for childcare, maternity leave, different work place policies, benefits, issues relating to relations between women and Hispanic community. Such issues have quickly paved their way into the Board meetings and have accorded into new and varied work policies. (Gutierrez, 2002) an example of the success of Hispanic women is the Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, with her profound influence in respect of the political and business sectors. Ms. Velazquez being the first Puerto Rican woman voted to congress is regarded as the pioneer of the Hispanic effect in the U.S. Further she has safeguarded the small business and minority entrepreneurship in her capacity of a Democrat idealist on the small business committee for years, devoting herself in pursuit of the desired improvement and positive perception of the Hispanic community. (Chavarria, 2003)

The best illustration of the determination of the Hispanic women is the reality that 75% of the Hispanic women entrepreneurs come into business ownership by initiating their own businesses. (Gutierrez, 2002) in spite the difficulties of inequity, lack of education, working capital, access to credit, language problem, poverty, and the environment of segregation that infuses our society, the number of Hispanic businesses are increasing radically, particularly among the women. These women are opening businesses at thrice the level of the national average. (Effectively Serving Hispanic Women Entrepreneurs) as per a survey undertaken by National Foundation for Women Business Owners-NFWBO and duly authorized by Wells Fargo and Company, most of the Hispanic women entrepreneur's possess long standing businesses in a wide variety of industries. (Gutierrez, 2002) as per the National Foundation for Women Business Owners -NFWBO, the number of Hispanic-owned companies increased to 206% between 1987 and 1996. In the past decade sales at these Hispanic women-run firms increased rapidly to 534% and employment bounded to 487%. At present, an approximation by the HispanTelligence says that Hispanic women have 569,000 companies in the United States, holding more than one third of all Hispanic-owned companies. (Effectively Serving Hispanic Women Entrepreneurs)

Hispanic women are also prone to describe their business as being started on their own and also being family run in comparison to women business owners of other ethnicities. Presently, the Hispanic women-owned firms are considered to be a crucial part of the fabric of business in the United States. Presently the Hispanic women-proprietorship firms constitute a crucial part of the fabric of business in the U.S., with Hispanic women entrepreneurs holding their business for about 12 years on an average. They are regarded as one of the most significantly progressing business segments. As per the report of NFWBO under the caption, 'Trends Among Minority Women-Owned firms', about 382,400 Hispanic owned firms in the United States created sales of $67.3 billion-which is a 534% enhancement over 1987 figures, and this is worthy of comparing it to the growth rate of 120% in all businesses. (Gutierrez, 2002)

Many Hispanic women seem to be effective restaurant owners, exhibiting considerable profits probably exploiting the confidential recipes of their grandmas. Their efficiency, the desire for improvement, and heritage are a strengthened combination that entails advantage to a more successful generation of the Hispanic women community. What Hispanic women leaders like the best about their business proprietorship is to be their own boss along with more flexibility and freedom, regulating their own fate, enhancing their own economic situation, and entailing greater flexibility in enjoying both family life and career. Similar to the Adelitas of the Mexican Revolution the Hispanic women leaders have never deterred from the struggle and it is their resolution that has made it clear to have a more exciting and rewarding times and this resolution is felt essential to persistently assure a competitive advantage in tomorrow's fast paced world.

Moreover, there are ample confrontations faced by such growing fraction of the community, from equivalent rights and labor struggles, to education, bilingualism, immigration and the intimidating task of mixing family life with a career. The Hispanic women leaders persistently describe the enhanced ambivalence levels concerning the interaction between the motherhood and employment. Such women are required to address the issues relating to the improving the conditions of Hispanic in an Anglo society and supplementing to the growing up female in a male dominated community. Education is considered to be one the greatest challenges. As a result of the lower educational accomplishments and resulting limited skills, in a more common circumstance the minority women are seen still seen to be placed in low levels, and adverse working conditions. (Gutierrez, 2002)

In spite of their development, women-possessed Hispanic businesses continue to confront certain challenges. Hispanic women entrepreneurs are often branded based exclusively on their gender, regardless of ethnicity. Eneida Uehlin, president of DANA Graphics, a Cincinnati-based design company states that during the start of her career and even now, significant customers are of the view that her husband is the president of her firm. Leticia Herrera, president of ECI, which is a full service maintenance company based in Chicago states that the setbacks often take places as women stereotype themselves. Women should no longer be seen as 'special entities of businesses'. They are simple and plain entrepreneurs. but, many times Hispanic women are typecast into thinking that because of their gender they can not contend, give quality services, or become victorious business owners. (Women in Business: Businesswomen: Changing the Face of Business)

The Hispanic women-owned companies have to tackle a major problem like access to capital, which was in terms of either the funds required for setting up a firm or for its extension. The firms possessed by Hispanic woman are not successful in inviting venture capitalists, which assure a high profit on their investments, because these firms are profoundly grouped in service industries. In addition, the establishments possessed by Hispanic women often are deficient of a strong business plan to influence the financial institutions. The Small Business Administration - SBA has set up a Women's Pre-qualification Pilot Loan Program to deal with these problems by assisting female business owners in getting pre-approval from the SBA before approaching a bank. Research showed that small firms were not as much like the larger ones to be forced to close; 90% of women's firms paid bills on time; and small firms were less likely to undergo financial pressure. (Needed Information and assistance for women entrepreneurs: A comparison with male small business owners)

Despite these results, Hispanic women-owned establishments were more likely to undergo obstacles in getting credit. The main barriers revealed in the study were lack of security, size of the firm, and a short credit history. Hisrich and Brush and Rashid also pointed out lack of security as a major problem. Shim and Eastlick's innovative study, evaluating male and female owned Hispanic enterprises, noticed gender differences in business problems in quite a few areas. but, financial areas, inclusive of capital and debt management, sales and profit forecasting, pricing plans and short-term business forecast, were sections where Hispanic women-owned businesses experienced more challenges than their male counterparts. (Needed Information and assistance for women entrepreneurs: A comparison with male small business owners)

The adverse immigration laws, labor regulations, and in some instances a deficiency in the protective legislation establish that there is still a lot of work to be performed. While the Hispanic organizations persistently struggle for equity in education, every year more technical skills are necessitated for even the most basic jobs. (Gutierrez, 2002) Women and minorities necessitate the essential scopes which the affirmative action policies offer in order to justify their abilities. The adverse influence of 'tokenism' requires to be dealt in. Professions who occupy positions of hire or encourage the Hispanic women are required to be enlightened regarding the effects of tokenism and Hispanic women need necessary assistance in dealing with its influences. The law opposing discrimination in this regard is considered significant, since once inequality is instituted it is quite problematic for the system as a whole to rectify itself. In the course of the Civil Rights Act and its subsequent modifications, the quick movement of women into the influential male profession pointed out that the artificial impediments instead of those based on selection or aptitude drove women and minorities out of the workforce. Irrespective of the fact that a plethora of debate goes on in relation to the positive or negative influences of persuasive action in this nation it clearly contributes to assist women in their career developments. The anti-discrimination laws thus are considered as a significant mode of leveling the area of operation. (Peery; Grady, 1999)

Additional research is required to know the influences of positive action on Hispanic females particularly in consideration to the measures for eliminating the affirmative action policies. (Peery; Grady, 1999) America represents to be an astounding country in consideration to the increasing migration cases. There are tremendous opportunities available for the immigrants and more is required to be done for the women and more specifically Hispanic women - fostering them to emerge as leaders and entrepreneurs. (Gardner, 2005) Hispanic women leaders must ever more attain a voice in all areas of social, economic and political issues. (Observation focuses on women leaders)

Hispanic women leaders are required to possess the skills necessary to persistently find out new challenges and reinforce the desire to widen their horizons in the financial sphere. (the 2004 Hispanic Style 50 - Top Thirteen Companies) They should have the quality of adjusting to an organizational framework that may entail opportunities and wherein counselors would be available for support. It has been made clear that the work associated factors, professed organizational qualities and co-operation from family and peers are significant determinants of the progress of Hispanic women. Further, determined dedication to the organizations and the considerable magnitude of mental stress were considered significant variables of the Hispanic women to manage and maintain an organization. (Morrison, 1994)

The significant qualities essential for accomplishing the objectives in the present day challenging periods for Hispanic women are the necessities of practicing life time learning. It is essential to be aware that more than just their job and to visualize the means of its improvement of the situation surrounding them. They are required to improve their business insight and judgment. They are required to query the doubts and persistently learn and grow and be honest with their learning, not to be frightened of being unsuccessful, absence of which attribute to their failures. It is quite necessary that the Hispanic leaders foster their leadership skills. Irrespective of the different employment avenues such as government, military, corporate America or an academic institution every agency requires better leadership and that too at all stages. (Williams, 2004)

Besides it is also necessary to accomplish the personal clarity. It is necessary to be anxious about them and to be aware of that entails them fully alive that matters most to them, that motivates them, and restructure their life around those things. It is considered to be better for others with the increasing care they exert on themselves. (Williams, 2004) the organizational leadership of the 90s necessitated facilitative leadership that strengthens others and values varied discourse as a mode of accessing better decisions. The leadership roles presently are being restructured, renegotiated and reorganized. Texts on the Hispanic women placed in necessary authoritative positions imbibe the notion that Hispanic women leaders are required to be associated with the administrative practices as an attribute for organizational reform. With re-identification of required expertise and attributes of a successful Hispanic women leader, a pragmatic environment is required for wiping out the gender conventions and concentrating on the required attributes of the Hispanic women carry to the position. (Logan, 1998)

While the Hispanic organizations are persistently fighting for equity in education, more technical skills are felt essential for even the most elementary jobs every year. The higher education to Hispanic woman implies provision of more skills, awareness and ideology essential for success in work and the provision of the social background in which the Hispanic women are capable of learning to associate socially and personally to Anglo Americans, thereby enhancing their business and interpersonal skills. Presently the socio-economic status of the Hispanic community has a strong influence on the political action that can enhance the representation of Hispanic women at all organizational levels and promote enhanced conditions for Hispanic women which will definitely follow. It is not taken to be an easy job but as the recent studies predict that such challenges have not been capable of prohibiting Hispanic women from moving forward. (Gutierrez, 2002)

It is believed by the Hispanic women that a high level of performance in most of the areas is essential for accomplishment. They also believe that people can really be successful only through hard work; however, they are being attached to amazingly high standards and attempting to be good at everything instead of concentrating on relatively a less number of crucial qualities. The Hispanic women leaders overestimate the significance of working well with other minority communities for success in their organizations. The creativity, leadership and extended working hours are crucial elements in achieving success. (Factors that Help One Get Ahead in the Workplace) the Hispanic women discover that managing their own company entail them more economic and social control irrespective of the fact whether it is a marketing firm or any other organization. They have the liberty according to the requirement to bring the child to the workplace or to take work to their homes. Above all the Hispanic Women owned business organizations are getting larger and more considerable and making a greater contribution to the economy as revealed by Sharon Hadary, executive director of the Centre fro Women's Business Research. According to Hispanic women they are developing such businesses due to the flexibility level involved. However this does not imply deterring them from working hard. It implies regulation over their fate and creating a business that is compatible with their values. (Goodman, 2005)

They emphasize due importance to the concept of 'who you know'. (Factors that Help One Get Ahead in the Workplace) it is necessary that Hispanic women leaders know how to stay alive and progress in a competition-oriented world. Liliam Lujan Hickey a young widow with four children to take care of soon learned the meaning of endurance. From the stage of obtaining government help till the stage of now possessing two businesses based in Las Vegas and Nevada which are Genesis International and Lujan Development, Lujan-Hickey is dedicated to revealing her success with other Hispanic businesswomen. Lujan-Hickey says that she has always known how to create money but did not know how to operate a business. She says she registered herself in a business seminar and learned how to create a business plan, deal with budgets, and how to efficiently market and how to operate her own business. (Women in Business: Businesswomen: Changing the Face of Business)

Beatriz Valadez-Ferreira, a Las Cruces, New Mexico attorney, started her practice one year after graduating from law school. Valadez-Ferreira, a 17-year-old business expert discovered that in order for her business to flourish, she had to make herself visible. She started her law office in the main street of Las Cruces. Valadez-Ferreira says that for her business to improve she knew that she had to be on the same block with other well-known businesses. Michelle Uria, president of ORO Financial, a New Orleans-based financial consulting firm, emphasized the significance of groundwork necessary for success. She said that women have the insightful thought of being victorious entrepreneurs but fail many at times as they do not develop a thorough strategic plan. (Women in Business: Businesswomen: Changing the Face of Business) it is necessary that leadership and developmental programs, and functions that encourage the development of Hispanic Women as successful businesswomen and strong leaders must be acted upon. (Overton-Adkins, 1997)

Hispanic women in varied management levels are required to be stimulated to involve themselves in policies and programs which are chalked out to promote the skills and guide the prospective careers of the Hispanics in the right direction. Hispanic women leaders are seen to have progressed rapidly through the corporate ranks with the guidance of the senior executive officials and are developing the required expertise for shouldering new responsibilities. Hispanic women are required to promote their professional expertise and accomplish further awareness and learning in the field of skill development by associating themselves with various mentoring programs, women's forums, and leadership orientation programs. The Hispanic Employee Network and the Hispanic Leadership Council are to associate with Hispanic women to take care of the requirements and demands of the Hispanic women force at work places. (the 2004 Hispanic Style 50 - Top Thirteen Companies)

Moreover, the national Hispanic organizations like the National Hispanic Business Association, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Professional Hispanic Women's Organization, is required to ensure that the most endowed Hispanic women employees are accessing their fullest possible potentialities in their preparations for the long-term careers in upper management by integrating them with the senior management personnel so as to share the experiences, techniques and approaches. (the 2004 Hispanic Style 50 - Top Thirteen Companies) it is quite necessary that Hispanic women have the skills essential to foster satisfaction level of the clients, improve sales turnover and the total performance of the organization to acquire a competitive advantage in tomorrow's fast paced world. (Smith, 1997) to maintain a viable advantage in tomorrow's fast faced world Hispanic women leaders must be further accomplished at consensus building and inspiring others to dedication to service. Arana and McCrudy propose that Hispanic women leaders be selected, taught, and assessed based on administrative and management talents as well as professional distinction. (Women in Academe: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back)

As the Hispanics are the most progressing and youngest section of the country, it is significantly essential that Hispanic women be supplied with the essentials to contend in the swiftly changing work atmosphere. (Eagly Karau, 1991) it is still necessary to do more work to enhance the concentration on Hispanic women to make them the prospective future leaders. (Logan, 1998) the Hispanic women are required to go beyond the demarcations of functional competency and are required to associate themselves with the estimated risks in maintaining their leadership positions. The Hispanic Women are required to perceive beyond their present roles and to integrate in non-conventional modes. And the Hispanic women after reaching their required level for attracting recognitions for their achievements, it is the magnitude of their leadership and interpersonal skills which counts towards their differentiation. (Dominguez, 2002)

Further the business accomplishment by Hispanic women rests on the achievement of their personnel who work with them. (Dominguez, 2002) Hispanic women leaders should be taught in order to help them form links to their own resources. (Observation focuses on women leaders) in order that the Hispanic women make progress in their career they require necessary networking and the more higher they move up the career ladder the more intensity their network counts. (Networking for Success) Hispanic women are required to foster the relationships and intensify the networks as they cannot exist only with the skills like all other women. It is not necessary that good leaders have all the right answers. They are simply required to know the ways for acquiring them. (Williams, 2004)

Higher positions involve higher amount of risks and job assessment at such levels require more executive advice, enhancing the significance of maintaining associates at the right junctures. Hispanic Women leaders need to be skilled for more promising careers and to express and demand what they desire. Accessing in time will entail the necessary scopes that otherwise would vanish. Effective networking results from listening, acquiring information and becoming a reservoir of information and knowledge for other people. Diffusion of acquired information among other personnel in their network will assist the Hispanic Women leaders in their objective to successfully guide the future organizations. Taking interest with others apt to stimulate the Hispanic Women leaders to compensate for the favor received. Reaching to the highest levels of an organization sometimes implies accessing the core management group mostly predominated by the male members. Cracking that internal circle necessitates the Hispanic women leaders to have an obligation significant enough to ascertain access to those people. After attaining such an access once it becomes imperative on their part to make sure as to what they can perform. (Networking for Success)

Sustenance approaches are required to be remobilized so as to assist the entrants to the field who want to succeed and progress. However career advancement and career mobility are still known to be the challenges. (Logan, 1998) Associating with an organization of women or with a Hispanic organization and then extending their networking to the broader groups seem assistive for restoration of their authorities and rights. In the periods of economic insecurity, a professional network acts as a security net along with a career prospect. The capability to restore linkages involves specific skills that are to be attained. E-mail makes it easier to maintain contacts and diffuse information to people who would find it assisting. (Networking for Success) Communities having profound curiosity on the Internet enable to have global communication instantly. Electronic networks like Advancing women are regarded as the significant apparatus to build a sense of community among women Hispanic leaders. Such electronic support systems assist Hispanic women to link with themselves as they foster their identification as leaders. (Logan, 1998)

However, networking also is associated with strengthening relationships and representation of their personality specifically based on the nature of trust. The risks and stress associated with the higher level management necessitates a great magnitude of trust among the co-workers and faith is earned through stable performance, clear awareness of the reasons of their existence along with the capability of others to expect their responses. (Networking for Success) Hispanic women are required to find out the counselors who are not of the equal background. It is significant to look at the counselor as a significant approach rather than as one individual. It is quite necessary to take into consideration various types of people who could counsel the Hispanic women above their levels and that of their peers. Hispanic women are required to search out the methods to generate a profit center for the company they own. (Dominguez, 2002)

It is also felt necessary to institute a division or product mark that constitutes a revenue flow. Once this has been resorted to as money making operation, the Hispanic leaders can pass on management and search out the ways to accomplish the balance between career and life. (Dominguez, 2002) in this way the Hispanic women leaders finds it easier when they use to speak their own language with establishing their own network. (Gardner, 2005) it is necessary to train Hispanic women business leaders to back other Hispanic business owners and to provide support group facilities. The monthly Women's Network for Entrepreneurial Training - WNET round table conducted on Saturday mornings has established itself to be an efficient tool. (Effectively Serving Hispanic Women Entrepreneurs)