Barriers and paths to success

Abstract

Purpose-This paper aims to examine perceived barriers and paths to success for Latin American immigrant professionals in the Canadian job market Design/methodology/approach-Findings are based on 20 semi-structured interviews with Latin American graduates of Canadian MBA programs. Interviews were analyzed for emergent categories and common themes. Findings-Despite their strong educational backgrounds, participants perceived several challenges to their success in the Canadian workplace, specifically, language barriers, lack of networks, cultural differences and discrimination. They also identified factors that influenced their professional success in Canada, such as homophilious networks and their Latin American background Research limitations/implications-By investigating stories of Latin American immigrant professionals, the study explores subjective views of immigration experiences and discrimination in this unique and rarely examined group. A larger sample will increase the confidence of the study's findings and future studies should examine dynamics of these issues over time. Originalitylvalue-This paper presents insight onto the labor market experiences and coping mechanisms of the currently understudied group of Latin American immigrant professionals in Canada. The study's qualitative approach enabled the examination of challenges experienced by immigrant professionals beyond those typically studied in this literature (e.g. devaluation of foreign credentials) and led to the finding that being Latin American can act both as a disadvantage in the form of discrimination and as an advantage as it differentiates immigrant professionals from other job seekers.

Latina/o Professionals’ Career Success

“…Ethnic identity maintenance has been found to attenuate experiences of covert discrimination and Latina/o psychological distress (Torres, Yznaga, & Moore, 2011) and also appears to give Latina/os more confidence to counteract the negative outcomes of perceived discrimination (Ojeda, Navarro, Meza, & Arbona, 2012). For example, there is evidence that when racioethnic minorities, including Latina/os, encounter ethnic-related stressors, they often adhere more strongly to their ethnic identity (Berry, 2003;Smart & Smart, 1995) through the use of cognitive buffers or blinders to cope with its negative effects (Hakak, Holzinger, & Zikic, 2010).…”

“…Specifically, bicultural identity incorporates bicultural comfort, competence, and linguistic proficiency, which may counteract certain negative career outcomes associated with acculturation stressors, especially linguistic difficulties and bicultural stress. Moreover, a strong ethnic identity may attenuate the negative effects of perceived discrimination for Latina/o professionals, especially as it relates to their career satisfaction (Hakak et al, 2010;Ojeda et al, 2012;Torres et al, 2011). Furthermore, Latina/os who maintain strong connections with both their ethnic and mainstream communities may also be less likely to encounter the stress of isolation and alienation many experience as one of the few, if any, Latina/o professionals in their organizations.…”

Going against the grain: The role of skilled migrants' self‐regulation in finding quality employment

“…In the new country, however, one may lack such interpersonal support, that is, encouragement and interpersonal understanding in the face of their new work and settlement challenges (Schweizer et al, 1998). Social support is particularly relevant for migrants, as they often leave behind their established social networks and relationships in the course of migration (Turchick Hakak et al, 2010). Moreover, establishing new relationships and connecting to local career communities (Parker et al, 2004) is often challenging and takes time.…”

Labour Market Transition: Barriers and Supports for First Generation Immigrant and Refugee Youth

“…Thierry and Carene's perspectives align with a large body of research acknowledging the important role of social networks in increasing one's access to employment opportunities (Brown & Konrad, 2001;Kunz, 2003;Peera, 2003;Bergeron & Potter, 2006;Abada et al, 2008;Hakak et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2011;Lauer et al, 2012;Oguz, 2013;Webb, 2015). Research indicates that individuals with smaller and less effective networks, like immigrants, are less likely to find employment (Kunz, 2003;Simmons, 2010;Yan et al, 2012;Oguz, 2013).…”

“…I don't know-I feel like that is a barrier in my career." There is overwhelming support for the barrier of non-native accents on work opportunities in Canada (MacDougall, 2007;Creese, 2010;Hakak, Holzinger, & Zikic, 2010;Wilkinson et al, 2010;Lauer et al, 2012). Given the role of language on people's experiences and in producing marginalizing effects, Lutz et al (2011) exemplify language as an intersectional dimension for further investigation in their vision to articulate a European intersectionality discourse.…”