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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
IS THE GLASS CEILING CRACKING?
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:09:50 PM)
sian Americans are nearly twice as likely as Whites (55% vs 29%) to graduate from college. For the past decade Asians have outnumbered Whites at UC Berkeley (40% vs 36%), UCLA (41% vs 37%), UC Irvine (56% vs 27%) and UC Riverside (55% vs 27%). Asians also collectively make up 28% of the enrollment at top 20 business schools. AA comprise 60% of Silicon Valley's professional and technical workforce.
The one area in which Asian Americans have traditionally been underrepresented is the corporate executive suite. Everyone has heard of Charles Wang, founder/chairman of Computer Associates, Jerry Yang, founder/co-chief Yahoo of Yahoo! and a half dozen other AA success stories. But they are the founders of the companies they head up.
Looking at the Fortune 1000, Asian Americans account for barely 1.5% of top executives, a third of our representation in the general population and far less than what one might expect from our success in college and professional schools. The only visible AA CEO of a top 50 corporation is Avon's Andrea Jung.
Undoutedly many factors contribute to Asian underrepresentation in the executive suites of American companies. The most frequently cited include the collective youth and inexperience of Asians in management positions, difficulty of fitting into the corporate cultures of old-line companies, propensity for leaving to work on startups, higher concentrations in technical fields and language deficiencies. Then of course there's the factor many suspect but few have been able to prove: racial stereotypes and prejudices.
Is the underrepresentation merely the product of benign sociological factors or is there still a glass celiing that keeps Asians from climbing above middle and lower management?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
"Then of course there's the factor many suspect but few have been able to prove: racial stereotypes and prejudices."
Easy to prove if you try. If a corporation uses a white person in India rather than an Indian or Asian, knowing very well that the Asian would be more attuned to the Indian culture, it clearly practices bigotry. Thus, by sending white Americans who did not know the way business is conducted in India, instead of Asians, Enron practised racial bigotry...something that eventually brought the corporation down. Furthermore, corportations with diverse board of directors tend to be less corrupt than the ones which are all white or all Asian. Case in point..All white: Enron, and all Asian: the chaebols of Korea. More diversity less corruption.
Asian American Male
Sunday, March 10, 2002 at 13:52:58 (PST)
"Yet the majority of Americans continue to accept the myth that asians are only good for technical fields.
why is this so ?"
They are too dumb. They live in their own world. Now, for the first time, the majority of American auto-workers are working for Japanese and German manufacturers. And in Japanese corporations, yes, most managers are Asian.
Asian American Male
Sunday, March 10, 2002 at 13:47:38 (PST)
"5% of this country owns 90% of its wealth and they don't like to share it with just anybody."
Most of this wealth is generated not within the country, but abroad...and guess what, Asians especially in countries such as India would rather give business to white Angol Saxon Americans over Asian Americans! Enron in India was run by two white Anglo Saxon American women in Texas, Martin and Mark, and by a redneck Texan lawyer by the name of Cline!
"But if your post is any indication of the type of person you truely are, you may find yourself unsuccessful in your pursuit of "increasing your rank" because "conformity" is a much desired virtue in corporate America."
If so, why are they going to Asia for business and why would China give them business? Did they forget the opium wars?
FYI unless you get an MBA no one in corporate America is going to take you very seriously (unless your a super duper sales rep).
True
Asian American Male
Sunday, March 10, 2002 at 13:45:28 (PST)
sea:
"Never expect a corporation to validate your passion and energy by rewarding you." you are correct about this. i've learned this the hard way.
"And as far as maintaining your integrity you must realize that to climb the golden ladder of corporate promotions, you must abandon the high moral ground." i think you're correct about this as well. it is necessary to look out for our own interest...if we show any vulnerablity, others will use this against us.
"conformity" is a much desired virtue in corporate America."
i've realized this. i do admit i can be stubborn at times, and i refuse to act against my will. for this reason, i have every intentions to start my own business once i acquire the appropriate experience needed...which, unfortunately, would take several years.
"'thinking outside the box'...Thats just a slick marketing sugar coating to make the pill of profit motive go down a little easier."
i agree...'thinking outside the box' creates controversy within the office...but is a great marketing tool.
"unless you get an MBA no one in corporate America is going to take you very seriously"
for many industry, this is true. however, in architecture hands-on experience is valued more than a higher education. school is very limited in what they can teach us b/c of the complexity within this field.
be
Sunday, March 10, 2002 at 12:19:50 (PST)
be,
I somehow get the feeling you are working in some matrix organization, since you are pointing to the fact that you have many bosses. You have the sympathies of some, but you are certain if they are actually supporting you in the back office meetings.
They might not want to hurt you, but they might not be helping either when one of the bosses is going after your reputation. If this is the case you have to neutralize the individual that has the bad opinion of you. If that individual is a peer, you must find a way to discredit them in discreet manner. If that individual is one of your bosses, you have to win them over.
Usually management will stay clear of these type of personel conflicts, because they happen and just part of office life. Also most of them rose to the management dealing with the same problems, so it is like a gauntlet, a trail of the coorporate culture.
But before you go off on the war trail. You should ask yourself what you want from the company. If it is a salary and stability, a rise to the excutive level, or just ball bashing personel that got in your way.
AC dropout
Sunday, March 10, 2002 at 10:05:42 (PST)
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