Becoming Modern and Inclusive: Getting Rid of Status and Tradition in an Ecuadorean Bank

Abstract

This article discusses the way corporate cultures reproduce social structures in their internal organization, operating as microcosms of the larger society. Utilizing a qualitative ethnographic methodology, including participant-observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups with around 400 associates of the largest private bank in Ecuador, this nationwide study provides both an analysis of the bank’s organizational culture and a collaborative interpretation of the institution’s perceptions concerning ethno-racial, gender, and disability inclusivity. The article offers abundant ethnographic data in conversation with the historical contexts of ethnic homogenization through the state project of mestizaje, which permeates even the internal structures of banking organizations. We discuss symbols of tradition, religion, and status that were key in shaping the bank’s identity in the past and that now weigh on the bank’s contemporary commitment to being a dynamic institution with responsible, inclusive, and diverse internal structures and workplace interactions. By addressing complex social issues around race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and disability, this study explores the role of corporations in society as they seek to confront their embeddedness in discriminatory social systems and act as conscious leaders in cultivating a more inclusive and diverse workforce.