Case 16.3: Whose Hispanic Center Is It?
Case synopsis and analysis
The Hispanic Center is a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of Hispanics in River City.
Hispanics make up about 13% of the population and are the fastest growing segment of the
community, growing at about 10% annually.
Mary Davis and José Reyna are two newly appointed board members who have led a
transformation of the center, including renovating the facilities and shifting the focus of some of
the programs. They secured a new space for the center and raised $1.3 million for its renovation.
Learning objectives:
• Students will begin to understand why a particular leadership style may be effective
for one cultural group and not for another.
Answers to questions in the text:
1. How would you describe the strengths and weaknesses of Mary’s and José’s leadership
on this project?
Certain characteristics are almost universally associated with strong leadership. These
characteristics include intelligence, decisiveness, excellence orientation, and planning ahead.
2. Do you see any problem in targeting part of the fundraising campaign directly toward the
Hispanic community?
3. The Latin America leadership profile stresses the importance of team-oriented leadership
and deemphasizes individualistic leadership. How does the leadership of Mary and José
compare with the Latin America profile?
4. How do Hispanic cultural dimensions help explain the resistance some people felt and
expressed toward the renovation project?
People in Latin American groups tend to be less interested in overall institutional and societal
5. If you were Mary or José, how would you temper your excitement about renovating the
new fire station?
Mary and José should temper their excitement and try to be more team oriented in their
Potential teaching approaches:
Below is a way to structure a class based on skill theory and case study 16.3:
Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition: Instructor Resource
Exercises for this case study:
1) Create an action plan for José and Mary. What exactly should they do to ease the
discontent? Should they revise the vision and goals of the center, revisit the fundraising
projects, or keep moving forward? And how much should Mary and José work to include
others in the decision-making process? Students should create a step-by-step plan that
2) Role-Play: Students play the part of José, Mary, and other board members. They role-
play a discussion about the project, and try to develop plans that appease all sides. By the