Diversity MBA Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 34) by Peter Nguyen As the ethnic minority with the largest percentage of college graduates, many Asian- Americans have been professionally stalled in their careers. Are cultural differences limiting them from rising up the corporate ladder? Raw intelligence and a good work ethic are apparently not enough. There’s a vicious cycle of disappointment from each passing generation. Hopeful Asian- Americans face the dissatisfying reality that their dreams of corporatemanagement success are being overlooked by the outspoken and eccentric. Corporate America is playing a different game and most Asian-Americans aren’t even aware of the rules. While Asian-American males are strongly represented as professionals in the workforce (23%), they’re underrepresented in executive managerial positions (14%). Asian-American females represent 17% of professional jobs, but are less likely to be represented as executives or managers (12%). In Silicon Valley, CA, where Asian-Americans comprise 30% of technology professionals, a 1993 study showed that they only make up 12.5% of managerial positions. In a 1999 study by the University of California at Santa Barbara, psychologists identified 14 Asian values that come from Confucius’ teachings. They include collectivism, deference to authority figures, self-control, self-effacement and avoidance of family shame. Although these values do have their strengths in a team setting, they have also limited characteristics that conflict with career advancement. The study also revealed that these values were not found to significantly differ across each passing generation. This means that unless there is a new shift in 34 w w w. d ive r s it y mb a ma g a z in e. c o m thinking, the disappointment of the past will continue to dictate the future. Education Isn’t The Only Key According to the 2002 data from the US Census Bureau, 44% of Asian-Americans over age 25 have graduated from college, compared to the 27% average for the U.S. population. About 25% of Stanford University undergraduates are of Asian descent, and Asians make up more than 40% of undergraduates at the University of California at Berkeley. In California, while Asian-Pacific Americans comprise 8% of all elementary students, they represent 17% of those in schools in the top 10%. Only 4 percent of Asians in those schools are in the bottom 10%. Far too often, Asians are pressured so heavily to enter certain professions, it may be at the expense of completely neglecting their own aptitudes, personalities, and, most importantly, passions. Dan Goleman, in his book Working with Emotional Intelligence, calls “emotional intelligence” a greater value in American companies. Unfortunately, the unwavering emphasis on education in Asian culture overshadows the need to develop emotional intelligence. The American values of assertiveness, networking, and self-promotion by Asian-Americans are overwritten with “the loudest duck gets shot” Confucian way of thinking. http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com
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