Mexican Culture: Asset or Liability?

As business leaders entrenched in Mexico's dynamic culture, we recognize the trend of nearshoring not merely as a cost-cutting strategy but as a testament to our geographic and economic appeal. With the growing popularity of nearshoring, exemplified by developments like the new Tesla plant in Monterrey (Cepeda, 2023), it's clear that our proximity to the largest consumer market in the world offers unparalleled opportunities for growth and efficiency (Quijano, 2023).

While nearshoring presents undeniable economic benefits, such as reduced operational costs and enhanced logistics, we believe that it also positions Mexico uniquely to harness these advantages to reinforce and expand our cultural and business ethos globally. The economic gains from nearshoring should be strategically reinvested into fostering business models that not only compete internationally but do so by embedding the rich Mexican culture into the core of their businesses.

Harness Cultural Heritage for Global Innovation

Mexico's cultural heritage is not just a testament to our past but a vibrant foundation for our future innovations. In our discussions with our colleagues from the Instituto para el Fomento a la Calidad (IFC, Aceves, A. & Zapata, L., 2024), we’ve reflected on the unique cultural attributes that can be leveraged to redefine how we approach business on a global scale. 

Our profound emphasis on community and cultural heritage is showcased in entities like Xcaret that have invented a new theme park subcategory called “Eco-archaeological Parks,” where the spirit of community transcends the typical tourist experience, offering a deep dive into the ecological and cultural intricacies of the Mayan civilization that capture the awe of millions of tourists from around the world.

Our creativity and resourcefulness are hallmarks of our cultural identity, exemplified by KidZania, where Xavier López Ancona and his team have dared to invent the edutainment category where children creatively explore various careers in a simulated adult world. This model contained the Mexican essence both in its design and market acceptance, and has been successfully exported worldwide. 

The Mexican spirit of unconditional solidarity that has been a trademark during extreme catastrophes has been demonstrated by hundreds of organizations through Empresas Excepcionales, an initiative powered by the IFC, the Consejo de La Comunicación (CC) and Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE). For example, the team at INTERprotección provided free insurance for delivery drivers in times of exponential demand during the pandemic. Innovators at Biomedica de Referencia, SEDENA and UNAM have trained dogs to spot people who were carrying COVID-19. What all these examples demonstrate is that we have the natural inclination to care about our humanity, which will be useful for the challenging times that await our society.

Lastly, we at Interlub have distinguished ourselves not just through our innovative approach to developing high-performance biodegradable lubricants and lubricants enhanced with nanoparticles, but also through our unwavering commitment to the human aspect of business. This commitment is evident in how we prioritize personal attention and nurture human relationships, setting a standard for customer care that goes well beyond the norm in the global lubricant industry. This focus on human connections not only enhances customer loyalty but also reinforces Interlub’s reputation as a leader in responsible business practices and community engagement (Cluster Industrial, 2021), driving its international success (Gonzalez, 2023).

We strongly believe that the very essence of our organizational cultures, which are inevitably influenced by our national culture, is what could make Mexican businesses uniquely successful on the world stage in Yuval Harari’s envisioned world (Harari, 2018). 

Hence, nearshoring should be seen as the opportunity for cultural amplification, rather than viewing it solely through the lens of short-term economic efficiency. By reinvesting the economic benefits of nearshoring into culturally aligned business ventures, we can ensure that our economic growth is not at the expense of our cultural heritage but rather a means to broadcast it more vividly across the world.

Mexico's Path to Innovation and Integrity 

Let us embrace nearshoring not just as an economic strategy but as a strategic opportunity to showcase the strength of Mexican innovation and cultural richness. To turn this vision into reality, we must take a leap in quality — enhancing not only the quality of our products and services but also the human quality of our organizations. This means fostering environments that value personal growth, community engagement, and ethical standards as much as financial success. By balancing economic gains with these cultural investments, we can redefine success to create a legacy that marries prosperity with cultural richness. 

Join us in this nuanced approach to cultivate a future where not only our privileged geographical location and skilled labor are valued but where our cultural identity could become the catalyst and greatest asset that set us apart in the global marketplace.

About the authors

René Freudenberg, as CEO, and Daniel Pandza, as Global Director of Innovation Ecosystem Partnerships, spearhead Interlub—The Uncommon Lubricant
Company®, celebrated for its pioneering spirit and distinctive leadership philosophy. Their stewardship has led Interlub to receive national accolades from
the president of Mexico on three occasions: the National Export Award (2017) for significantly exporting Mexican technology to over 40 countries; the National
Quality Award (2018) for its exceptional business model; and the National Technology and Innovation Award (2019), which highlights their dedication to advancing scientific paradigms globally through innovation.

References

• Aceves, A. & Zapata, L. (2024). Entrevista personal a miembros del consejo directivo del Instituto para el Fomento a la Calidad Total, A.C. (IFC). https://ifc.org.mx/.

• Cepeda, F. (2023). Afloran proyectos en municipios vecinos de Tesla. El Financiero. Retrieved from https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/monterrey/2023/08/22/afloran-proyectos-en-municipios-vecinos-de-tesla/ on April 12th, 2024.

• Cluster Industrial. (2021, October 15). Interlub Group recibe el premio de empresa excepcional por su compromiso social. Empresa Modelo. Retrieved from https://www.clusterindustrial.com.mx/noticia/4077/interlub-group-recibe-el-premio-de-empresa-excepcional-por-su-compromiso-social

• Gonzalez, A. (2023, July 31). Caseo de éxito: Interlub aceita engrane internacional. El Norte, p. 11.

• Empresas Excepcionales (2024). Base de datos de las empresas participantes. URL: https://ifc.org.mx/ree-ganadoras/ganadoras2023.php 

• Quijano, B. (2023). Nearshoring in 2024: Navigating strategic opportunities in Mexico. Mexico Business News. Retrieved from https://mexicobusiness.news/cloudanddata/news/nearshoring-2024-navigating-strategic-opportunities-mexico on April 12th, 2024.

• Leplâtre, S. (2024). Chinese robots conquer factories. Le Monde. Retrieved from https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2024/02/13/chinese-robots-conquer-factories_6522342_19.html

• Harari, Y. N. (2018). 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Spiegel & Grau.