Ana Maria Fantino and the management of a multicultural workforce
April 17, 2006
By Nicole Zummach
EDMONTON, AB // Most people who immigrate to Canada will tell you they are coming here to seek a better life. Unfortunately, the barriers and obstacles they face upon arrival can seem insurmountable at times. It's something that Ana Maria Fantino understands very well. Born in Argentina, she is a psychologist who has worked in the public and nonprofit sectors for the past twenty years. Currently, she is putting her many skills to good use as the manager of the language assessment centre within the Immigration and Settlement Service Department of
Catholic Social Services in Edmonton. She works with new immigrants, helping them to overcome some of the challenges they face as they try to integrate into Canadian society. Thanks to a one-year sabbatical as a Muttart Fellow in 2004, she has compiled her research and experience into a book. CharityVillage spoke with Fantino about her findings and what organizations need to know about managing a culturally diverse workforce.
CharityVillage: Given your position with Catholic Social Services, you're very aware of issues related to management of a multicultural workforce. What were you seeing that prompted your research as a Muttart Fellow?
Ana Maria Fantino: The title of my work is Cultures at Work: Intercultural communication in the Canadian workplace. What prompted me to do this, besides my personal interest, is the level of cultural diversity in the workplace. If you look at the 2001 Census of Canada it says that on average, one in five workers in Canada is a first generation immigrant. In metropolitan areas, the proportion is one in three. And as you know, many people in Canada are retiring soon and there is a low fertility rate, so the new workers are immigrants. The census says that 70% of the growth of the labour force is due to immigration. That type of information prompted me to do something about this. The other reason is that, although lots has been written about cross-cultural and intercultural communications, most books are directed to business, international business, and so on. In the nonprofit sector, there is very little. And some of the models that they use in the current literature, which comes mainly from the US, are not necessarily applicable to the nonprofit sector.
Many immigrants bring a wealth of experience and education to the social services field. They also bring with them traditional values, such as cooperation, loyalty, family, community orientation, which are very instrumental to the social services field. They are not always recognized or utilized to the fullest, and there are still linguistic and cultural misunderstandings in the workplace. That's why I wrote this book.
CV: Were there any surprises for you as you conducted your research?
AMF: I learned many things, but I also confirmed a number of things. I did more than 30 interviews with people who work in the field - with immigrants and with directors and staff of organizations. One pleasant surprise was that many changes are already happening in terms of increasing awareness of the value of diversity in organizations. Twenty years ago that was not there. Obviously, there is still a lot to be done. At the institutional level there are still many barriers to be removed to facilitate the access of newcomers into the workplace. And not only opening the doors for people, but also offering support such as language learning and orienting them to the Canadian culture.
As Canadians, we tend to assume that if we tell people the basics of how Canada works, they will understand. The interesting thing is that the rules in any society are hidden. They are not explicit, so the newcomer approaching the society has to guess constantly what is appropriate, what is correct. It's not a matter of superficially explaining, "Go here. Do that." There are many unwritten rules that people have to learn, and to me, that is the main challenge for newcomers, to understand the hidden culture.
CV: What are some of the other common barriers that you identified?
AMF: The first is language. And even if people do know some English, they still have to learn the cultural use of language, the appropriateness of certain expressions. If you are a professional, you also have to learn the vocabulary of your profession. Another barrier is access to employment. Many people come to Canada with qualifications that aren't recognized here. They have to go through a lengthy process of recognition of credentials. Lack of Canadian work experience is another barrier, and that is a catch-22 situation because you cannot get that experience if you cannot get employed.
The other barrier, which is the least known, I think, is the social aspect. People might master the language and find a job but they can't integrate into the social aspects. They don't have friends; they are lonely and isolated. Integration is really a two-way street. Immigrants and refugees have to, and they do make an effort to adapt and integrate, but it has to come from Canadians too. [Canadians] have to accommodate, to integrate them as equal partners.
CV: So, what are the most important things managers need to know when managing a culturally diverse workforce?
AMF: I think that not only for managers, but for everyone who is in this business, one of the key things is to be aware of the culture of employees. No one can be an expert in all the hundreds of cultural groups that exist in Canada. But it helps to read and be aware of current issues in the world and the history of different countries. However, we should also reverse the focus to ourselves. We are not culture free and we need to be aware of our own cultural biases. Some people think that culture is something that some foreigners have and that we don't have a culture. That is not true. We have values, judgments, and opinions and we see the world in particular ways. It doesn't mean that we should stop thinking that way; it's just to be aware that we have certain beliefs and ideas. If we are not aware, we impose our ideas or judge other people according to them.
CV: How has the experience of being a Muttart Fellow impacted you personally and professionally?
AMF: Thanks to the Muttart Foundation I had this incredible opportunity to concentrate on something that I am really interested in. In my absolutely busy life here at work it's very difficult to do research and attend to the daily work. We deal with a lot of emergencies here so we don't give ourselves time to see what is important and not just urgent. There was also the pleasure of taking some time to rest, recover, and reenergize. It really gave me some perspective on what I am doing. I can do it in a slightly different way now. It was one of the best things I've ever done.
Ana Maria Fantino has completed her book, Cultures at Work: Intercultural communication in the Canadian workplace, and it is in the process of being published.
To learn more about the Muttart Fellowship Program, visit: www.muttart.org/fellowsprogram.htm.
