When analyzing different cultural societies, one of the most common cultural societies that we encounter the most as Americans would be our brothers and sisters of the south from the country Mexico. The country overall shares resemblances to our country the United States but it is also very different. You may see similar practices such as their leadership structure as a country. We may know the country from immigrants fleeing to the United States for a better life, but there is much more to the country than just that well known specific. Some may have traveled to Mexico for a vacation, ported there while on a pleasure cruise or even visited during a military port visit. You may have heard stories from many of our own immigrant citizens on their main land but while there are plenty well known factors there are also plenty unknown and work in progress factors in the still developing country.
The basic demographics of Mexico are as follows, starting with countries location. The country of Mexico is located near North America bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, between Belize and the United States and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and the United States (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The ethnic groups of Mexico consist of Mestizo which is Amerindian-Spanish 62%, predominantly Amerindian 21%, Amerindian 7%, other 10% mostly European (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). Most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018).
Although carrying similarities to the U.S in the government structure is very different. The economy of Mexico holds a $2.4 trillion economy, the 11th largest in the world and has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing since the North American Free Trade Agreement also known as NAFTA which entered into force in 1994 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). Per capita income is roughly one-third that of the US; income distribution remains highly unequal. The ongoing economic and social concerns include low real wages, high underemployment, inequitable income distribution, and few advancement opportunities for the largely indigenous population in the impoverished southern states (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). Mexico’s agriculture and trade markets are improving “Mexico has become the US’ second-largest export market and third-largest source of imports. In 2017, two-way trade in goods and services exceeded $623 billion. Mexico has free trade agreements with 46 countries, putting more than 90% of its trade under free trade agreements.
In 2012, Mexico formed the Pacific Alliance with Peru, Colombia, and Chile” (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The president of Mexico is currently trying to improve the economy “Mexico’s current government, led by President Enrique Pena Nieto, has emphasized economic reforms, passing and implementing sweeping energy, financial, fiscal, and telecommunications reform legislation, among others, with the long-term aim to improve competitiveness and economic growth across the Mexican economy. Since 2015, Mexico has held public auctions of oil and gas exploration and development rights and for long-term electric power generation contracts” (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The country of Mexico appears to be similar to North America in many ways other than the struggling economy.
The countries energy standards although are overall quality by bolstering 100 percent of electricity available in city areas and only 97 percent of electricity available in rural areas leaving 1.2 million without electricity as of 2012 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The countries communication standards are 20 million fixed lines which equal 17 subscriptions per 100 people and mobile subscriptions totaling 114 million equaling 92 subscriptions per 100 people as of 2017 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). Therefore Mexico provides adequate telephone service for business and government; thus improving quality and increasing mobile cellular availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). Although adequate communications have been established the country is lacking in internet subscriptions. The internet subscriptions in Mexico are only 73 million or 59 percent of the population as of 2016 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). This low subscription in internet services could be caused by the economy or the low wages.
The transportation in Mexico is a lot like the internet services it is overall still growing and a work in progress (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). There is 377,660km of roadways in the country with only 137,544km paved leaving 240,116 km unpaved (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). There are 2,900 km of navigable rivers and coastal canals mostly connected with ports on the country’s east coast (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). This requires them to use their 622 merchant marine ships for import and export totaling 5 bulk carriers, 9 general cargo, 32 oil tankers, and 567 other designated transport vessels as of 2017 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018).
The country has major seaports in Altamira, Coatzacoalcos, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, and Veracruz (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The oil terminals are in Cayo Arcas terminal, and Dos Bocas (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The cruise ports are located in Cancun, Cozumel, and Ensenada (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The container ports are located near Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas. Lastly there are a total of 1714 airports in Mexico as of 2017 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018).
The military branches in Mexico include the Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaria de Defensa Nacional, Sedena): Army (Ejercito), Mexican Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, FAM); Secretariat of the Navy (Secretaria de Marina, Semar): Mexican Navy (Armada de Mexico (ARM); includes Naval Air Force (FAN), Mexican Naval Infantry Corps (Cuerpo de Infanteria de Marina, Mexmar or CIM) as of 2013 (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). The age requirements to join the Mexican military forces are much like the United States. As of 2012, the country requires participants be at least 18 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation is 12 months (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). But if you are16 years of age with consent for voluntary enlistment conscripts can serve only in the Army. The Mexico Navy and Air Force service is all voluntary and women are eligible for voluntary military service (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018). They differ additionally by the fact that cadets enrolled in military schools from the age of 15 are considered members of the armed forces (The World Factbook: Mexico, 2018).
The first step of the four step cultural intelligence model is CQ drive (Livermore, 2015). CQ drive is showing interest, confidence, and drive to adapt cross culturally (Livermore, 2015). The second step of the model is CQ knowledge, which understands cultural similarities and differences (Livermore, 2015). The third step of the model is CQ strategy which is strategizing and making sense of culturally diverse experiences (Livermore, 2015). The fourth and final step of the model is CQ action, which is changing verbal and non-verbal actions appropriately when interacting cross-culturally (Livermore, 2015).
A cultural intelligent or CQ leader can be described as ones whom seemingly has the natural ability to interpret someone’s unfamiliar and ambiguous gestures the way that person’s compatriots would (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). Culturally attuned and emotionally sensitive global leaders need to be developed: leaders who can respond to the particular foreign environments of different countries and different interpersonal work situations provide the framework for global leadership success or culturally intelligent leaders (Higgins, 2005). The cultural intelligence ability to interact effectively in multiple cultures is not a skill possessed by all leaders but is becoming a necessary trait in today’s globally diverse business world (Crowne, 2008).
While analyzing the country of Mexico through the cultural intelligence lens it was easy to realize that the country aspires to be culturally intelligent through president’s actions to improve the economy. While also growing the countries agriculture and trade export market you can also see the countries willingness to be culturally intelligent. The fact that Mexico has become the second largest export market and the third largest in imports as stated previously shows that Mexico has the drive and knowledge of their resources to be culturally intelligent while analyzing the country through the CQ model.
The country has the strategy to be culturally intelligent by having free trade agreements with forty six countries. The country has put this strategy into action by exceeding 623 billion dollars in two way trades in 2017. It is my belief after analyzing, that the country of Mexico has effectively realized the resources their country can provide to other countries through export, import and the free trade deals that CQ model was effectively used. While conducting research it was apparent the leadership of Mexico had a lot to do with the improvements to not only economic reconstruction but also the country becoming more culturally intelligent.
A countries leadership can usually be determined by analyzing the overall leader and whom they appointed in their cabinet. When others analyze our country they first look at the President and then the leadership that follows. When analyzing Mexico as a country one should do the same. The country has adopted a similar government structure as the United States and we must analyze the leader first to understand the countries global focus. While analyzing the country of Mexico and their leader it was easy to see that the current President was an inclusive leader displaying traits of the theory in which that the people Mexico want. An inclusive leader is one that has a strong self-awareness about their own preferred work style, but is able to flex their style to connect with all of their team, even those who think and work differently with motivators that are also different (Sweeny & Bothwick, 2016).
The list of accomplishments under President Enrique Pena Nieto aids to the claim that he is not only a cultural intelligent leader but also an inclusive leader. He attended a high school in Maine to learn English his junior year of high school before returning to Mexico and attending law school (Biography Editors, 2018). These kinds of experiences aided to the now Presidents cultural intelligence and flexibility of being an inclusive leader. He served as a governor for the state of Mexico before becoming President (Biography Editors, 2018). He assumed office in 2012 and immediately starting making an impact to strengthen the country (Biography Editors, 2018).
After assuming office the President had immediately made changes to strengthen the security of the country targeting the constant repetitive problem of drug cartels smuggling into other countries thus improving the overall global profile of Mexico (Biography Editors, 2018). Peña Nieto’s work also included deregulating the country’s energy industry so international firms could gain access to Mexico’s vast oil and gas reserves (Biography Editors, 2018). Additionally, Peña Nieto worked to strengthen the country’s automobile industry by making it easier for car manufacturers, including such brands as Audi, Kia and BMW, to build factories in Mexico by investing nearly 19 billion into the automotive sector in the first two years (Biography Editors, 2018). These type of successes have led me to believe in the leaders cultural mindset and inclusive leadership abilities.
In addition, to aid to the claim that President Enrique Pena Nieto through his own cultural intelligence and inclusive leadership has made Mexico more culturally intelligent and globally diverse there are other successes to mention. He has been a vocal leader in emphasizing economic reforms, passing and implementing sweeping energy, financial, fiscal, and telecommunications reform legislation, among others, with the long-term aim to improve competitiveness and economic growth across the Mexican economy. This ultimately displays the inclusive leadership abilities of the current President. The President had to flex his styles to appeal to the people and fellow leaders of Mexico to implement all the actions into fruition which have ultimately strengthened the countries global force.
In conclusion there is evidence that through the four part lenses of cultural intelligence that Mexico as a country want to be overall culturally intelligent. It is my belief through the research conducted that the four part model was effectively utilized by Mexico using the resources the country provides and through cultural intelligence have made efforts to turn their economy around. The leadership and guidance of the President have helped the country to become more culturally intelligent through being an inclusive leader to put into effect all the reforms necessary for results. He appears to have a global mindset and still be in the process of developing the country into a culturally intelligent and diverse country.
Additionally it is noticeable that the citizens of the country not only want to be culturally intelligent to improve the country and economy but that the President also believes the same. The need to be flexible and strike trade and export deals with other countries to keep their economy afloat is not only part of the inclusive leadership but also necessary. The country is not perfect by any stretch but it should be noticeable to outsiders looking in that it’s not a sprint it’s a marathon to accomplish slow and steady results. It is still a work in progress for the leader and President to grow the country from their economic woes but it would appear that through his leadership and guidance the country is on the right track towards cultural intelligence.
