Abstract
Why are there so few Japanese-American Nursing Education leaders in the United States when Asians in general are considered the “model minority”? Several reasons point to the cultural and value differences of an Eastern versus Western perspective. Many who have addressed this issue in other professional fields explain this phenomenon as the bamboo ceiling. This article provides the experiences of two Japanese American Nurse Leaders framed through a theoretical framework proposed by Bolman and Deal (1991), which seems to relate to their “human resource leadership” style and the strong belief and empowerment of others. These leadership types develop symbols and cultures to shape human behavior with the shared mission and identity of the organization in mind which is in concert with the Japanese American cultural values of collectivism. Explanation and recommendations for future leaders are provided along with examples by two nurse leaders which may provide better insight into an answer to the question of “Why so few?”
Highlights
Some would ask: “why are there so few Asian Americans in executive or administrative positions?” given the proportion of Asian Americans working in the healthcare/professional work force
According to Hyun, the bamboo ceiling is a combination of culture, individual, and organizational factors that interfere with the career progression of Asian Americans within organizations
Japanese Americans and other Asian Americans are distinct in visual appearance and voice unlike other groups that can blend in or “pass.” Moving into academia, a Japanese American female, along with other visible minorities, must overcome the barrier of being different, she must acculturate to the norms of being an American female leader who is frequently viewed as being an assertive extrovert with refined communication skills that are tempered with finesse
Summary
Some would ask: “why are there so few Asian Americans in executive or administrative positions?” given the proportion of Asian Americans working in the healthcare/professional work force. Social factors influencing leadership of Japanese women are related to gender, education, and politics. This tendency affects specific Asian ethnic groups inclusion on boards, research programs, grants, and other positions that require minority status.
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