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Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Sociological, Legal and Organizational Issues

Megan Purdy
HRM 594
Keller Graduate School of Management
Dr. Carden
June 17, 2014

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The topic that I have chosen to focus on for my course project is one that was discussed
in our reading assignments as well as a suggested topic; Breaking the Glass Ceiling:
Sociological, Legal and Organizational Issues. Some reasons for which I chose this topic is
because of the interest it holds for me as a woman working to attain a place in management in
the workplace and knowing the difficulty that is still faced by women in todays workplace and
because even with the great progress that we have seen over the years in the workplace, there are
still great gaps between men and women and minorities regarding their roles, responsibilities and
the stereotypes that exist within organizations, their wages and the gaps that are evident despite
equal qualifications and also their treatment and perceptions in the workplace in regards to the
glass ceiling. My focus will be more on women and the struggles and barriers that they face
trying to break through the glass ceiling as well as ways that they can attempt to break down the
barriers that they are faced with, such as sociological, governmental, business structure and
internally.
The glass ceiling is a phrase that made its debut in the 1980s and is used to describe the
difficulties that both women and minorities face when trying to advance in the workplace. It is a
term used when speaking about the invisible barriers that are in place that affect the wages and
the promotions within organizations and the pursuit of management positions for women and
minorities. (Henemen & Judge, 2009) It has been found that the higher up in the company that

one looks, the greater barrier there actually is and the lower down in level, the less the barrier
exists. (Henemen & Judge, 2009) Despite all the work that has been done to ensure fair and

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equal working environments and situations; it seems that the subtle gender discrimination has
survived.
Some barriers that have presented themselves as being part of the glass ceiling have
actually been found to come from within the organization that the employees are a part of. These
issues can stem from the organization relying heavily on internal recruitment as well as the good
old boy mentality that many groups may have. Because of this, there tends to be a lack of
mentoring of women that may strive to work their way up the ranks within the organization by
other women in these top level positions. (Elaqua, Beeher, Hanson & Webster, 2009)
Unfortunately, women are also faced with being looked down on when having to find the balance
between home and work and being a mother. (Henemen & Judge, 2009) The roles of women
have shifted from be homemakers and it has been found that women today are representing at
least half of the workforce that is out there as well as running businesses of their own. By
starting their own business, it is a way for women to avoid having to deal with the issue of glass
ceiling. Unfortunately though, there is a lack of women in the higher positions within
organizations. (Carnes & Radojevich-Kelley, 2011) Even when women are taking on
managerial positions, there is still a lack of promoting these women into the top tier positions of
the company even when they are more than qualified. It has also been noted that if women are
promoted into top level positions, it may be in roles that include more risk which could lead to

failure and eventually the dismissal of the individual. (Elaqua, Beeher, Hanson & Webster, 2009)
Because of these things, women have a tendency to feel that they are being shut out

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within their organization and the networks they want to be a part of to learn and grow in. In
addition to feeling as they have no support within the organization, women tend to feel that they
need to work much harder than their male counterparts to gain the recognition and praise that
they deserve for doing the same work. (Ohlott, Ruderman & McCauley, 1994)
A big question though is what is really the cause of the glass ceiling phenomenon? Is it
because there is such a difference between the performance of men and women, the difference of
gender, or the fact that men have always held those high level positions while women have
struggled to gain footing on the corporate ladder? When thinking of CEO positions, most often it
is a male that comes to mind as filling that position even though the female counterparts are just
as qualified. With that being said, it seems at times that womens performance is scrutinized
more in depth than mens performance which can also lead to men being awarded promotions
over women. Another barrier may come from the perception that management has of women
and the family and work balance that they may be dealing with, their roles in a company, and
their performance and promotability. Aside from the barriers of gender stereotyping and the
lack of mentoring to women by women, there is also a barrier when it comes to the perception
that men are born to be better, more effective leaders than women. (Hoobler, Wayne & Lemmon,
2009)

There is an article that I found that focused on the glass ceiling and the affect that it has in
the field of Human Resources. I found this article quite interesting as it is the field that I am
attempting to enter into and make a career in. According to the article and its research, it has

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been over 20 years now since the US Department of Labor last released a report concerning the
glass ceiling and investigating its causes and the potential solutions. The glass ceiling and its
causes have been an issue that continues to hold importance as a topic that is researched and why
it has been something that prevents women from reaching those top tier management positions in
companies as well has reaching the same salary levels even when their qualifications are equal.
Even though the field of Human Resources is one that is very heavily staffed by women, they are
filling the lower and middle level positions of management rather than positions in the higher
levels. Since women are in a way stereotyped as being more personable and relatable, it is
thought that may be the reason they have such a presence in the Human Resources field. It is
thought that since the field is one that has such great interaction with employees, the presence of
women and their ability to interact and relate makes it beneficial to have them in the lower and
middle management positions to better work with employees. Along with the stereotyping
comes the measure that those higher level management positions are seen as more masculine
which is why men are better suited to fill more of those positions than women are. Human
resources professionals should be and are aware of the ongoing issues with the glass ceiling and
need to constantly be in search of ways to resolve the problem. Some possible solutions that
were found through research include the involvement of more training for women to give them
the opportunity for success in such a masculine dominated field and management level, to be

more supportive of giving women more opportunities to reach those levels of management and to
acknowledge that there is a need for more diversity involving genders in top management roles.
Equipping women with the tools, skills, training and knowledge they need will help to give them

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the push that they need to attain those high level management positions. Besides giving women
the access necessary to grow in their knowledge, organizations should also be more willing to
include women in those lower and middle management positions in the decision making process
of things within their company. By including them, it gives them the chance to be a part of the
process and expand their knowledge and feel more comfortable making decisions on a larger
scale. Incorporating more policies that affect women, such as on-site daycare options or flexible
scheduling will also help to attract women to these organizations. There is no guarantee that
using these different approaches will help women to break through the glass ceiling, but it is a
start to helping them crack through the barriers in a way. (Pichler, Simpson & Stroh, 2008)
According to an article on the gender wage difference, maternity leave and the glass
ceiling, the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission believes that there are three causes or barriers
that are affecting women attaining high management positions; societal, internal and
governmental barriers. (Cabeza & Tyner, 2011) The societal barriers have to do with the fact that
there is a very low number or female candidates for management positions that are available
within organizations as well as the fact that there are such gender stereotypes that are associated
with certain jobs. The internal barriers are those that occur within an organization and the
culture and history within the network. Typically, upper management is made up of men and

this in turn keeps females from having an opportunity to fill those positions because of the good
old boy mentality that is there and the fact that men dont want to give up those positions and
maybe even lose their power and standing within the company. Because of the small number of

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women in higher management, there is a lack of mentoring from other women, training and
development or career path management. Those women that are in the lower or middle
management positions dont have anyone to look up to. Without having other women in these
high level positions, the men of the organization wont necessarily see the need to give women
these different avenues or opportunities for advancement and growth. The governmental barriers
that exist tend to reflect the lack of proof or detailed reports that may show the differences
between men and women in the workplace. Even though there is proof that women are attaining
educations that are equal to or even higher than their male counterparts, they are still not being
given the higher level management positions or even higher salaries than men. Even with that
strength in education, why are men still being given higher wages than women for doing the
same job? It has been found that men are compensated much better for doing the same jobs and
that women are found not to have the skills or leadership qualities to perform at the same levels,
mainly because they arent given the opportunities. Once again, this can be attributed to the fact
that there is a lack of women in upper management present to give the guidance, mentoring and
training that other women could benefit learning from. (Cabeza & Tyner, 2011) This article also
attributed motherhood and maternity leave as having an impact on women and their
advancement in the workplace as well as the gender wage gap. It brings up the point of women
having to make a big decision between career advancement and motherhood, which in my

opinion is quite sad. A very good point was made in this article as to why men should be
allowed to enjoy parenthood and still be advancing and thriving in the workplace while women
have to make the choice between being successful in their career and being a mother. (Cabeza &

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Tyner, 2011) Research found that motherhood and maternity leave most definitely affects the
gender wage gap in the United States for three reasons. The first being that the wages of men
arent affected during the weeks of leave as they are womens, the second being that women are
unable to gain experience on the job and accept new and different responsibility while they are
out on leave which could ultimately affect their potential for advancement. The third reason is
that by being on leave coupled with societys stereotypes, it leaves women in an unfair position
when it comes time to ask for a potential promotion or salary increase. (Cabeza & Tyner, 2011)
In another article that I found, the difference in job experiences and opportunities given to
men and women was discussed. (Ohlott, Ruderman & McCauley, 1994) The article found a
number of different reasons for why women have been held back in management in the
workplace, a large reason being that men seem to be given more opportunities than their female
counterparts. These opportunities and on the job experiences have a large impact in preparing
both men and women for potential management positions within their organizations. If women
are not given the chance to experience these opportunities, they will not be as prepared to step
into those high level management positions as the men in the company. By giving women
leadership roles in an organization, it makes them more visible to management and other
employees and affords them the opportunity to learn and grow in their skills and this in turn will

help to prepare them for larger roles. By presenting situations to both men and women in their
current positions that may be a challenge, is a way to evaluate how they will handle themselves.
These are ways to help individuals develop in their skills and abilities, but if women are not

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afforded these same opportunities as men, it is difficult for them to grow in their careers.

By

limiting womens exposure to these situations, it takes away their chance to become better at
decision making, risk taking and problem solving. According to the article, it was acknowledged
that women are not as likely to be given challenging roles in organizations as males are. In doing
so, it minimizes the chance that women have to be visible and make vital contributions to the
company. Even with the strides that women have made over the years in the workplace and the
responsibilities they have taken on, there are still subtle cases of discrimination occurring. The
ways that this may be happening is that even if women are able to attain higher level
management positions, they may not be receiving the same level of responsibility, same
assignments or functions. As a previous article suggested, stereotyping may be happening since
women are seen as more nurturing than men and as a result of that are given situations and roles
that encourage that type of a relationship within the organization. In the end, the same issues
keep arising that attribute to causes for the glass ceiling. When women are not given the same
experiences and opportunities in the workplace as men, a womans career will be affected.
Without the experience, they will be seen as being less qualified and knowledgeable which in
turn can limit their potential for future job opportunities. A great point was made in this reading
concerning what happens when a company is faced with affirmative action. It made the point
that if a company was forced to move a woman into a top tier position, they may overwhelm her

with responsibilities that she is unprepared for which in turn can be a way of setting that woman
up to fail in the role and this then proves that the glass ceiling is indeed a reality. The article
stressed the importance of organizations making a strong effort to remain gender neutral when

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dealing with promotions and advancement and responsibilities within the company as to avoid
the issues of the gender differences and the glass ceiling as much as possible. Instead help both
men and women to develop by offering the same opportunities and experiences to both groups.
(Ohlott, Ruderman & McCauley, 1994) Everyone learns at different rates and by different
methods, but by denying women the experience to do so most definitely put them at a
disadvantage.
In yet another article that discussed the glass ceiling and womens role in the workforce, I
found there to be a great deal of information that again pointed to the glass ceiling as something
that is still there and the effects of it are still being dealt with. (Carnes & Radojevich-Kelley,
2011) The article spoke of the increase of women re-entering the workforce and how there is a
large percentage holding professional positions. It then went on to reiterate how even though
women are holding managerial positions, they are not those top tier positions that are being
sought after. The article took a look back at how the roles of women used to be focused on being
homemakers and mothers and not contributing in the professional way to supporting their family.
However, with the increase in the cost of living and raising families, many women have opted to
return to the workforce in order to help their family. It is encouraging to see so many women
holding professional jobs and for society to support women in the workforce rather than the ways

of the past of women working in the home and men going to their jobs. Even with the strides
and infiltration of women in the workplace, there still seem to be the same stereotyping
lingering. These give the impression that women dont have the same drive and aggressiveness

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as men, that they thrive more on emotions that on common sense, but are more trustworthy and
honest and apt to deal with certain social situations. An interesting fact that was found within
this article was that women tend to rank higher than men in their work ethic, compassion,
integrity, creativity and people skills as well as outperform them in a variety of leadership
capacities. Even after all of that, there is still a lack of women in the top levels of management
in the corporate world and men are still earning significantly more than women as well. (Carnes
& Radojevich-Kelley, 2011) Interestingly among the reasons found for these things happening, is
the fact that women are still trying to figure out how to balance their home life and having the
high level career that they want, causing a great deal of struggle internally for women; they have
to potentially choose between having that high profile, top level executive position or
motherhood. A recent study found that some women are even opting out of these positions
themselves so they can still give enough of their time and attention to their family. (Carnes &
Radojevich-Kelley, 2011) This observation led to the questions of whether or not the glass
ceiling truly does exist and then if women are using the glass ceiling as a potential excuse for not
pursuing high level executive positions. This leads us to wonder if the attitudes that women have
of themselves, albeit they have been circulating by society as a whole, have been part of the
reason that women are being held back. This is not to say that women should receive all of the
blame. Men and women should both be given the same opportunities in the workplace and

should be given promotions and positions based on their qualifications, not their gender or the
roles that society thinks each should fill. By having gender equality in the workplace, there is a
greater chance for competitiveness based on skill, knowledge, education and qualifications. This

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article has determined that the glass ceiling is something that is a real thing, but it raises the
question of whether or not it is something that society has created or if it is something that
women continue to enable despite the strides that females have made in the workplace. There is
no one real reason for its existence, but instead a great number of contributing factors. The goal
now should be trying to break through the glass ceiling and striving to achieve gender equality.
With everything that has been found concerning the glass ceiling, the question is how to
fully break through it. Women are making great strides and are able to attain management
positions especially in the jobs that are considered to be traditional womens jobs, like banking,
teaching, administration, health and personnel. This can in a way be attributed to the education
that women are now attaining and equipping themselves with the knowledge necessary to take on
these roles. With that knowledge and education comes a desire to break into the male dominated
workforce of business, law, science and technology. To do this, women need to be given a fair
and equal chance. It should be no surprise that women are just as qualified and educated as men
if not more in some cases, but still need to work even harder to prove they are able to advance
within the organization. By continuing on with the ways of the past and keeping women at arms
length in regards to attaining those high level management positions, organizations could be
causing damage to themselves in the eyes of society and the customer. More and more people

today want to see women taking on more responsibility within companies. Women are seen by
many as more approachable and understanding and by giving them more opportunities; it can
potentially increase the customer base of the organization.

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Women need to afforded more training in regards to management and the leadership as well as
receive more on the job training in these areas as well. By incorporating mentoring programs
and visible female leadership within the organization is another way to increase the experiences
that women will have to learn more as well as opening up more networks and career
management programs. Organizations need to be more open minded as well in their recruiting
process. Rather than focusing on the traditional male candidates to fill those high level positions
or even lower management roles, they should be looking at both men and women and taking
advantage of the many qualified women they may already have as part of the organization. By
focusing on more gender equality and promoting more women, it may have a positive effect on
the business of the company and how they are perceived by the public. (Wirth, 1998)
According to the Glass Ceiling Commission, there are a number of ways to help improve upon
the advancement of women in the workplace and to help break through the glass ceiling. To
start, there needs to be a good look taken at the culture of the organization and how they view
womens roles in the workplace. By considering the current policies of the company and
measuring them against EEO/AA laws and regulations, it will be an indicator of whether or not
they are fair and equal to both genders. An opinion of how employees feel about women in the
workplace and the perceptions that they have of them, could also be a factor as well as whether
or not the top management of the company is in support of the advancement of women into high

level positions. Some other suggestions by the Glass Ceiling Commission included being sure to
keep up with a strong diversity program within the organization and focus the recruitment
programs around that diversity to make sure that all candidates that meet the qualifications of

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positions will be considered equally. Recruitment programs should be more open and available
to internal candidates, rather than using a word of mouth or referral program. With internal
recruitment and selection, care should be taken when choosing predictors that will be used and
should use multiple predictors when making decisions and selections. Within the organization,
there needs to be emphasis on giving women the same experience and training as men and using
mentoring programs to give the women in the organization someone to lean on for guidance and
advice when necessary. Opening up the lines of communication and create different networks
and training for women rather than making them feel that they are being excluded. Fixing the
problem of the glass ceiling is not something that will be able to be fixed overnight, it is
something that has been talked about for years and will take a variety of different approaches
still. An effort in the area of support needs to be fully embraced by organizations to help
minimize the effect of stereotyping and with that open the door to more opportunities and
experiences for women. Women need to feel that they are valued and a part of an organization
and that they have been given the same consideration as their male counterparts, but that they
also wont be looked down on because they value and place importance on their family life as
well. (Henemen & Judge, 2009) Other recommended individual steps for breaking through the
glass ceiling in organizations include knowing what your organization expects from their
management teams and the skills and qualifications they are requiring. Looking at the values of

a company can also give insight as to how you should approach moving up within. Be sure to set
objectives and goals for yourself that are in line with the goals and performance objectives of the
company and those in those top management positions already and then be proactive about it,

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make it known that you are interested in higher management roles and taking on more
responsibility. Try to create relationships with individuals in the organization, if there arent
internal networks to join reach out to groups outside of the company, find new ways to expand
and grow in your knowledge. In networking, try to find someone that can act as a mentor for
you, someone that will be able to offer guidance and advice. (Breaking the Glass Ceiling, date
unknown)
In choosing the topic of the Glass Ceiling as my focus, I initially thought that it was
going to be a very clear case of gender inequality and be very one sided, with the blame lying
with society and how it has allowed this to take place and continue on for many years. After
reading numerous articles and reviews, I found that the glass ceiling is a real thing but it cannot
be blamed on just one thing or one group. I was amazed to find that some of the cause truly does
fall on the female gender in a way. As much as women want to be treated fairly and equally
within the workplace, they really do struggle with achieving career success while still giving the
same time and energy and focus to their families. I found that there really is a struggle to be able
to find the balance necessary to achieve success in both areas and that is something that I feel
that I will struggle with as well. With that being said, the stereotypes that society has of women
in the workplace and their treatment needs to be reassessed. As someone that will be entering

into the field of Human Resources, I am much more aware of the importance of diversity within
the recruitment process and ultimately the selection. By giving the same experiences as well as
opportunities for learning and development, it makes the playing field much more even between

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men and women. Instead of dismissing women from the top level management positions, it is
important to remember that they may very well be just as if not more qualified than their male
counterparts. In those cases, organizations should not be afraid to break free of societys
stereotypes and award these women those management positions. I hope that I will be able be
given the opportunity to learn and grow within an organization and in turn influence other
women and working mothers. I think that by having women as a visible presence, by allowing
women the opportunities to grow and by ignoring what society deems to be traditional and right,
it can have a direct impact on other women and eventually be a step in the direction of breaking
through that glass ceiling. I hope to have other women to look up to and to go to for guidance
and mentoring as I begin a new career and deal with finding that sought after balance between
work and family.

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References
Cabeza, M., Johnson, J., & Tyner, L. J. (2011). GLASS CEILING AND MATERNITY LEAVE
AS IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO THE GENDER WAGE GAP. Southern Journal Of
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Carnes, W. J., & Radojevich-Kelley, N. (2011). THE EFFECTS OF THE GLASS CEILING ON
WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE: WHERE ARE THEY AND WHERE ARE THEY
GOING?. Review Of Management Innovation & Creativity, 4(10), 70-79.
Elacqua, T. C., Beehr, T. A., Hansen, C. P., & Webster, J. (2009). MANAGERS' BELIEFS
ABOUT THE GLASS CEILING: INTERPERSONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
FACTORS. Psychology Of Women Quarterly, 33(3), 285-294. doi:10.1111/j.14716402.2009.01501.x
Heneman III, H. G. & Judge, T.A. (2009). Staffing organizations (7th Ed.). Middleton, WI:
McGraw-Hill Irwin.
HOOBLER, J. M., WAYNE, S. J., & LEMMON, G. (2009). BOSSES' PERCEPTIONS OF
FAMILY-WORK CONFLICT AND WOMEN'S PROMOTABILITY: GLASS CEILING
EFFECTS. Academy Of Management Journal, 52(5), 939-957. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2009.44633700

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_71.htm. Breaking the Glass Ceiling

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Ohlott, P. J., Ruderman, M. N., & McCauley, C. D. (1994). GENDER DIFFERENCES IN

MANAGERS' DEVELOPMENTAL JOB EXPERIENCES. Academy Of Management
Journal, 37(1), 46-67. doi:10.2307/256769
Pichler, S., Simpson, P. A., & Stroh, L. K. (2008). The glass ceiling in human resources:
Exploring the link between women's representation in management and the practices of strategic
human resource management and employee involvement. Human Resource Management, 47(3),
463-479.
Wirth, L. (1998). Women in management: Closer to breaking through the glass
ceiling?. International Labour Review, 137(1), 93.