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The papers published in this special issue demonstrate that the field of management can make important contributions to the knowledge about Hispanics and Latin Americans (HLAs) in the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to offer an alternative yet complementary perspective that conducting research on HLAs will make important contributions to the field of management.

Conceptual paper.

Research on HLAs provides opportunities to develop and use innovative research design and measurement approaches (including qualitative and hybrid methods), leads to innovative solutions and protocols for addressing ethical challenges and Institutional Review Board regulations, and creates opportunities to access large secondary databases, sources of data collection, and research funding.

Additional research is needed to realize the benefits that result from conducting research on HLAs in the workplace.

Because research on HLAs involves designing studies with an end in mind, results will lead to actionable knowledge that will help bridge the science-practice gap.

Future research on HLAs is likely to have important social implications given that demographic changes in the USA have catapulted HLAs into soon becoming the largest ethnic minority group in the country and Hispanic workers are projected to represent about 80 percent of the total growth in the US labor force over the next four decades.

The alternative perspective that conducting research on HLAs will benefit the field of management is not meant to compete with but, rather, complement contributions of the other papers published in this special issue.

The purpose of this paper is to examine stressor-strain relationships that play a role in foreign-born Hispanic workers’ well-being and family-to-work facilitation (FWF) as a moderator in this relationship.

The authors used a unique sample of foreign-born Hispanic workers employed in blue-labor jobs in Texas (n=163).

Consistent with the theoretical assertions, the authors found support for the negative relationship between legal status concern and Hispanic workers’ psychological and perceived physical health. Further, FWF attenuated the negative consequences of lack of English language proficiency on psychological well-being.

Both organizations and Hispanic workers can benefit from the results of the study. Hispanic immigrants can enhance their well-being by relying more on their families and seeking more support from their friends and families when dealing with immigration-related stressors. Organizations and policymakers can improve Hispanic workers’ well-being by educating them about immigration-related issues and by offering help with mastering English language.

The authors studied psychological and physical well-being of a population that is generally underrepresented in the literature – foreign-born Hispanic immigrant employees. The paper also examined what employers can do to improve the work experience of these workers.

Hispanics represent a growing segment of the US population and workforce, yet there is a lack of empirical research on Hispanics in relation to work-family conflict and synergy. Drawing on work-family and job demands-resources theories, the authors model predictors (autonomy, schedule flexibility, social support, work hours) and outcomes (health and satisfaction) of work-family variables among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This quantitative study examined responses from respondents (n=2,988) of the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVAs, and structural equation models (SEM). The paper focusses primarily on Hispanics and also examined gender differences for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites.

Hispanic women reported the highest work-family conflict (work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW)) and synergy (work-family synergy (WFS)) levels. Job resources are related to WIF for Hispanic women but not Hispanic men. Autonomy was the best predictor of WFS for all groups. Coping mediated the depression-life satisfaction relationship. WIF and WFS were each significantly related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction and life satisfaction were significantly related for all groups except Hispanic women. Job satisfaction-turnover paths were significant.

Although based on a high-quality national probability sample, all information was gathered from one extensive interview. There is also a need to examine subgroups of Hispanics beyond the scope of this data set.

Results suggest similarities as well as differences in work-family variables for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Corporate work-family policies and initiatives may need to be altered in light of ethnicity and gender issues as the workforce becomes more diverse.

This study examined work-family conflict and synergy among Hispanics. The predominance of research on non-Hispanic whites needed to be extended to different racial/ethnic groups who may experience WIF, FIW, and WFS differently.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between country of birth or ethnicity (cultural proxies) and career and parental role commitment, and whether or not that relationship is mediated by two psychological dimensions known to differ across Mexican and USA cultures. These mediators are family achievement orientation and gender role orientation.

Data were collected from 372 working female students at community colleges in the USA and Mexico. The survey focussed on career and parental role commitment, family achievement orientation, and gender role attitudes.

Both country of birth and ethnicity predict career and parental role commitment. Females born in Mexico and Hispanics have higher career role commitment and lower parental role commitment than females born in the USA and non-Hispanic whites. Family achievement orientation and gender role attitudes partially mediate these relationships.

Cross-cultural research of work and family issues needs to incorporate psychological dimensions in accounting for country/ethnic differences.

Employees’ cultural backgrounds should be considered in designing programs to support family and work balance.

Assistance programs designed to enable Hispanics to work will be valued and fit with the Hispanic cultural focus on working as a means to care for family.

This study addresses a stated need in the work/life literature for research that addresses cross-cultural differences, and research in the cross-cultural research that calls for the inclusion of psychological dimension mediators between culture and the variables of interest.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the perception and psychosocial impact of caregiving for Latino family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and compare them to non-Hispanic (NH) white caregivers.

The paper opted for a survey design using the Screen for Caregiver Burden, Perceived Stress Scale, Short Form 36 Health Survey, Symptom Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Depression, Sense of Coherence, Coping Resources Inventory, and the Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ-85). A total of 202 participants with 53 Latino caregivers (majority were Mexican-Americans) and 149 NH white caregivers also completed an in-depth qualitative interview describing their experience as caregivers.

Latino caregivers, as compared to NH white caregivers, have higher subjective and objective caregiver burden and lower general health, social function, and physical function. They also reported higher levels of bodily pain and somatic symptoms. Caregivers experience a great deal of stress that can adversely affect their emotional and physical well-being. Latino cultural values influence the meaning ascribed to caregiving and how caregivers attempt to balance a perceived duty to family.

The sample was a convenience sample of caregivers responding to an invitation to participate. The Latino sample included primarily caregivers of Mexican-American descent and represented Latinos living in the South West section of the USA. Future research needs to include Latinos of diverse nationalities.

The paper points out crucial differences between NH white and Latino caregivers. Understanding how Latino cultural values influence how Latinos perform and feel about caregiving duties may facilitate support for caregivers.

This paper fulfills an identified need to study Latino caregiving. Two bilingual and bicultural researchers were part of the research team facilitating the collection and analysis of qualitative data.

Drawing on social categorization, relational demography, and faultline theories, the purpose of this paper is to examine interpersonal relationships between Hispanic American, European-American, African-American, and Asian-American coworkers in relation to language use in the workplace (English or Spanish).

Employed adults (n=97) participated in one of four racioethnic-specific focus groups (Hispanic American, European-American, African-American, and Asian-American) at each of four worksites in order to assess their reactions to working in a linguistically diverse environment. Interviews with onsite management and human resource directors were also conducted.

Language issues created noticeable faultlines between English and Spanish speakers. In total, six themes representing issues for multilingual organizations emerged: inclusion vs exclusion, assimilation vs ingroup identification, essential communications, composition issues, utility of speaking English, and negative affective responses.

Results highlight the difficulties inherent in working in multilingual groups and the challenges they present for organizations. Results also suggest the importance of group composition in the development of language issues.

This paper is among the first to present insight into the experiences of workers in linguistically diverse workplaces, and the barriers presented by language differences. As the number of Hispanics in the US workforce continues to increase, maintaining effective relationships between Spanish and English speakers at work becomes especially important for organizational success. Suggestions for managing a multilingual workforce are included.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize research about Hispanic workers in the USA and identifies directions for future research.

The paper identifies, analyze, and summarize 112 peer reviewed publications that deal with Hispanic workers in the USA.

The findings are grouped into major categories that deal with prejudice, discrimination, and diversity; job-related attitudes and behaviors; job search and careers; the interface with gender, sexual harassment and work/family issues. The paper report the 53 most prevalent and well-supported findings.

Given the paucity of research about Hispanics in the workplace, the conclusions derived from this literature review should be interpreted with caution.

A literature review of Hispanic workers in the USA has not been conducted to date. This review sets identifies the need for several areas of research in relation to Hispanic workers in the USA.

Although there has been considerable research on entrepreneurship (Rauch and Frese, 2000), there has been limited research on Hispanic entrepreneurs (e.g. Peterson, 1995; Shinnar and Young, 2008; Zarrugh, 2007), and much of the literature has been atheoretical or fragmented. Therefore, this paper uses an existing model of entrepreneurship (Baron and Henry, 2011) to understand and explain the factors related to the behaviors of Hispanic entrepreneurs. The purpose of this paper is to consider the literature on Hispanic entrepreneurs relevant to each stage in the model, and presents testable hypotheses to guide future research on the issue.

In order to uncover the research on Hispanic entrepreneurs several databases were searched including ABI Inform, PsyArticles, and ProQuest. In addition, a review of key entrepreneurship and Hispanic journals (e.g. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science) was conducted. Relevant papers from 1980 to date were included.

Significant research on ethnic entrepreneurship has been conducted, especially on the personal characteristics of entrepreneurs. The extant literature, however, has been primarily atheoretical and lacks empirical evidence to support a consensus regarding the findings. The authors provide a model to guide research on Hispanic entrepreneurs.

Research revealed that Hispanics may be more likely to start new businesses, but also more likely to fail than Anglos (Sullivan, 2007). As a result, this paper highlights the potential obstacles affecting the behavior of Hispanic entrepreneurs, and considers a number of practical implications for enhancing their success rates.

Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the USA, and entrepreneurship often provides a springboard for their economic advancement and social integration (Wang and Li, 2007). As a result, the present paper has important implications for increasing the success rates and integration of Hispanics in US society. It may also have key implications for policy makers who are trying to identify strategies for increasing the number of Hispanic new business ventures in our society.

The authors believe that this paper adds value to the literature because it uses a theoretical model to explain the factors thought to affect the behavior of Hispanic entrepreneurs. Also, it identifies a number of avenues for future research on the topic. Even though there has been some research on Hispanic entrepreneurs, the authors believe that the current framework will identify the key gaps in the literature and foster additional research.

This article introduces readers to the Special Issue (SI, 34-1) of ARLA, edited (not exclusively) with the best papers of the Academy of Management's Specialized Conference, scheduled for April 2020 in Mexico City. The COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, but the expert peer review and editorial work continued, to contribute to the emerging literature on Latin American Management and Sustainability.

Guest editors contributed their expertise based on required editorial processes and focused literature reviews on Management and Sustainability.

There are large management and sustainability challenges to Latin American practitioners and researchers, resulting in an increasingly urgent need to systematically document similarities and differences in the fields of Management and Sustainability. It is so because the region has been affected as few others before, during and after the pandemic. Thus, this issue summarizes the literature, presents eight new studies and offers suggestions for future research.

Management and sustainability in Latin America are wide subjects, with different dimensions and issues. This is a specific contribution that leaves much ground to be covered in the different subfields of the area, in research methodologies and conclusions.

An agenda for advancing the field of management and sustainability in Latin America, highlighted by the COVID-19 disruption; additionally, eight of the most advanced research in the field are presented, chosen from two tracks of a large number of contributions to a recent specialized conference organized by the Academy of Management.

Este artículo presenta el Número Especial (SI, 34-1) de ARLA, editado (no exclusivamente) con los mejores artículos de la Conferencia Especializada de la Academy of Management, programada para abril de 2020 en la Ciudad de México. La pandemia COVID-19 obligó a su cancelación, pero se continuó la revisión por pares expertos y el trabajo editorial, para contribuir a la literatura emergente sobre Gestión y Sostenibilidad en América Latina.

Los editores invitados contribuyeron con su experiencia con base en los procesos editoriales requeridos y revisiones de literatura enfocadas en Gestión y Sostenibilidad.

Existen grandes desafíos de gestión y sostenibilidad para los profesionales e investigadores de América Latina, lo que genera una necesidad cada vez más urgente de documentar sistemáticamente las similitudes y diferencias en los campos de la gestión y la sostenibilidad. Es así porque la región se ha visto afectada como pocas antes, durante y después de la pandemia. Por lo tanto, este número resume la literatura, presenta ocho nuevos estudios y ofrece sugerencias para futuras investigaciones.

La gestión y la sostenibilidad en América Latina son temas amplios, con diferentes dimensiones y temáticas. Se trata de un aporte específico que deja mucho terreno por recorrer en los distintos subcampos del área, en metodologías de investigación y conclusiones.

Una agenda para avanzar en el campo de la gestión y la sostenibilidad en América Latina, destacada por la disrupción del COVID-19. Además, se presentan ocho de las investigaciones más avanzadas en el campo, elegidas entre dos temas de un gran número de contribuciones a una reciente conferencia especializada organizada por la Academy of Management.