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Understanding Cultural Drivers™ means understanding our history to influence our future professionally and within our personal community.
Cultural Drivers™ theory is a framework for people who identify as Latino, Latine, Latinx, or Hispanic to understand the specific cultural behaviors, attributes, patterns of interactions, beliefs, and social and communication exchanges that come with being part of this specific cultural group. The framework is used to understand the intersection between culture and leadership in order to apply these outcomes to practice in a professional setting.
El Puente Institute’s five Cultural Drivers™ include Familismo (Familism), Respeto (Respect), Simpatia (Politeness), Personalismo (Personalisim), Marianismo/Machismo (Tranditional Gender Roles). Each Cultural Driver™ has been derived from evidence-based assessment and review.
Familismo (Familism) - Represents the strong identification and bond each person holds with immediate and extended family portraying feelings of loyalty, mutuality, dependence, and unity (Sabogal et al., 1987; Villarreal et al., 2005).
Respeto (Respect) - Hierarchical structures in Latino/Hispanic communities contribute to differential behaviors toward others based on factors such as age, gender, social or economic status, and authority (Holvino, 2010).
Simpatia (Politness) - Someone who is likable promotes pleasant relations and positive situations and avoids conflict and disharmony. You go out of your way to create highly personable atmospheres (Holvino, 2010).
Personalismo (Personalism) - Creating and valuing meaningful, personal and trusting relations (Holvino, 2010).
Marianismo/Machismo (Traditional Gender Roles) - Machismo emphasizes traditional masculine traits such as dominance and assertiveness, defining men as protectors and providers. Marianismo promotes values like purity and self-sacrifice in women, positioning them as nurturing and submissive in accordance with patriarchal norms.
Although there are additional Cultural Drivers™ in the Hispanic/Latino cultural identity, the five presented here are the Cultural Drivers™ that intersect most prominently with leadership effectiveness.
Sabogal, F., Marín, G., Otero-Sabogal, R., Marín, B. V., & Perez-Stable, E. J. (1987). Hispanic familism and acculturation: What changes and what doesn't? Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 9(4), 397-412. https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863870094003
Villarreal, R., Blozis, S. A., & Widaman, K. F. (2005). Factorial invariance of a pan-Hispanic familism scale. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 27(4), 409-425. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986305281125
Holvino, E. (2010). I think it’s a cultural thing and a woman thing:” Cultural scripts in Latinas’ careers. CGO Insights 30. Center for Gender in Organizations, Simmons School of Management, Boston, MA.https://www.simmons.edu/sites/default/files/2021-12/CGO-Insights-30.pdf
El Puente Institute’s foundational approach is to utilize the Cultural Drivers™ theory to create a deeper understanding of the Hispanic/Latino community by addressing stereotypical perceptions and impressions to capitalize on the numerous strengths of the Hispanic/Latino individual and community.
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competency.
Take your cultural competency and leadership skills to the next level. This course is designed for seasoned leaders ready to transform cultural awareness into impactful leadership performance.
