Latina Managers in Public Employment: Perceptions of Organizational Discrimination

Abstract

Despite the well-documented conclusions and recommendations for change of previous studies on organizational discrimination against Latinos, only minimal employee activism or governmental reform has resulted. A multipurpose survey of Latina local government managers examines perceptions by Latina managers of factors contributing to organizational discrimination. Comparisons to conclusions from secondary-source researchfound thatLatina managers intellectually concur with secondary-source research findings, but such agreements did not predict Latinas' choices for activism and related strategies for reform. An analysis of agenda-action items selected by Latina managers presents conflicts between their perceptions of what can be changed and organizational secondary-source research implications. The survey revealed concerns with personal and group relational factors, which were ranked as more important than influencing institutional and organizational improvements. These findings provide support for research complementarity, and they inform possible directions for research on Hispanic issues and strategies of Hispanic change agents.