HR Professionals
Hit Glass Ceiling
Written by: Dr.Gandham Sri Rama Krishna
Published in International Journal of Management and Research, August, 2015, Vol.2, Issue.2,
ISSN:2348-4845
Abstract
A glass ceiling inequality
represents a gender or racial difference that is not explained by other job relevant
characteristics of the employee. Glass ceilings are the artificial barriers
that deny women and minorities the opportunity to advance within their careers."Glass ceiling" is
a metaphor for the hard-to-see informal barriers that keep women from getting
promotions, pay raises and further opportunities. A glass ceiling represents inequality. The glass ceiling
metaphor has often been used to describe invisible barriers through which women
can see elite positions but cannot reach them.
Glass ceiling is an unfair system or set of attitudes that prevents
women and certain race from getting the most powerful professions. The
phrase glass ceiling refers
to an invisible barrier that prevents someone from achieving further success. A gender difference that is greater at higher
levels of an outcome than at lower levels of an outcome. A glass ceiling is a term used to describe the scene,
yet unreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the
upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or
achievements.
Key Words: Career, Racial Difference, Gender Difference, Gender
Inequality, Harassment, High-Profile, Network, Perception.
Introduction
The term ‘Glass Ceiling’,
has come to embody more than gender equality among women and men. Today the
term embraces the quest of all minorities and their journey towards equality in
the workplace. The purpose of this article is to bring attention to the subject
of diversity, gender equality and the glass ceiling. The article will discuss
the glass ceiling and how its broadened meaning is relevant in today's
workplace. The barriers faced by minorities as they journey towards executive
leadership, and how to overcome these barriers to truly shatter the glass
ceiling. An invisible upper limit in corporations and other organizations,
above which it is difficult for women to rise in the ranks. "Glass
ceiling" is a metaphor for the hard-to-see informal barriers that keep
women from getting promotions, pay raises and further opportunities.
The
U.S. Department of Labor's, definition of glass ceiling is “those artificial
barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevents qualified
individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level
positions.”
According to Morrison and her
colleagues, the glass ceiling "is not simply a barrier for an individual,
based on the person's inability to handle a higher-level job. Rather, the glass
ceiling applies to women as a group who
are kept from advancing higher because they are women.
A glass
ceiling inequality represents a gender or racial difference that is not
explained by other job relevant characteristics of the employee. Women have worked alongside
men in increasing numbers since the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s
and today account for more than 40 percent of the workforce worldwide. Since
the term "glass ceiling" was first coined in 1984, women have made
great progress in terms of leadership equality with men in the workplace.
Despite this, women are still under-represented in the upper echelons of
organizations. Some studies have shown that companies with more gender parity
in top management roles do better financially.
The popular notion of glass ceiling
effects implies that gender disadvantages are stronger at the top of the
hierarchy than at lower levels and that these disadvantages become worse later
in a person’s career.
The glass ceiling metaphor has often been used to describe invisible
barriers (glass) through which women can see elite positions but cannot reach them
(ceiling). Glass Ceiling is an unfair
system or set of attitudes that prevents women and certain race from getting
the most powerful professions. These
barriers prevent large numbers of women and securing the most powerful
prestigious and highest-grossing jobs in the workforce. Moreover, this effect
may make women feel they are not worthy to fill high-ranking positions or as if
their bosses do not take them serious or see them as potential candidates for
advancement. An unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a
profession, especially affecting women and members of minorities. An upper limit
to professional advancement, especially as imposed upon women, that is not
readily openly acknowledged. The invisible barrier known as the glass ceiling.
Glass ceilings are the artificial barriers
that deny women and minorities the opportunity to advance within their careers.
It is a higher management and executive level in a company to which the
females, African Americans, Latinos, etc., can't rise. Glass ceiling cases are
primarily proven by statistics. If all women cannot rise above the position of supervisor,
then all women are being discriminated against in promotion and hiring.
Therefore, any glass ceiling case is a potential class action case.
A glass ceiling is a term used to describe "the
seen, yet unreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to
the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or
achievements." Initially, and
sometimes still today, the metaphor was applied by feminists in reference to
barriers in the careers of high achieving women. In the US the concept is sometimes
extended to refer to obstacles hindering the advancement of minority men, as well as women. Invisible
but real barrier through which the next stage or level of advancement can be seen, but
cannot be reached by a section of qualified and deserving employees. Such barriers exist due to implicit prejudice on the basis of age, ethnicity,
political or religious affiliation, and sex. Although generally
illegal, such practices prevalent in most countries.
Governments, organizations, and individuals
around the world have tried to encourage an increase in the number of women who
reach the upper echelons of power. Many nations in the world have made progress
in this regard. Countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) have done more than any other region in the
world to address female corporate participation. Denmark receiving 72nd
place in terms of the gender pay gap among senior managers and officials as
generous leave encourages women to take long breaks early in their careers
while men continue to gain experience. This lack of experience is hurting
women's salaries at the upper end of the pay scale despite every effort to
close the gap.
The pieces of the glass ceiling that remain
in the Nordic countries can be removed using the same tools Human Resources
organizations are already encouraging companies to use. Powerful women must
mentor other women to encourage and prepare them for the realities of corporate
life.
A glass ceiling inequality represents:
·
A
gender inequality in the chances of advancement into higher levels, not merely
the proportions of each gender or race currently at those higher levels.
·
A
gender or racial equality that increasing over the course of a career.
·
A
gender difference that is not explained by other job-relevant characteristics
of the employee.
·
A
gender difference that is greater at higher levels of an outcome than at lower
levels of an outcome.
Nugent said that companies
where women have made big strides toward getting into upper-level management
have visible buy-in from senior executives, talent management programs that
recruit and promote high-value female candidates and employees, strong mentor
programs and “robust” succession planning. The motivation to bring more women
into executive positions isn’t altruistic — it’s about the bottom line.
The phrase glass ceiling refers to an invisible barrier that prevents
someone from achieving further success. It is most often used in the context of
someone's age, gender, or ethnicity keeping them from advancing to a certain
point in a business or when he or she cannot or will not be promoted to a
higher level of position. Glass
ceilings are most often observed in the workplace and are usually a
barrier to achieving power and success equal to that of a more dominant
population. An example would be a woman who has better skills, talent, and
education than her male peers, but is obviously being passed over for promotions.
The glass ceiling metaphor in the business
world is a reference to an employee's rise up the ranks of an organization. In
theory, nothing prevents a woman from being promoted. However, in practice
there are unseen barriers. Workers can see that the higher they are in the company, the more
promotions, pay raises, and opportunities they should have. Instead of being
able to achieve the same success as peers, those who encounter glass ceilings
are stopped by invisible obstacles that prevent them from rising further.
Glass
ceiling is a glass wall or a glass floor - there is still a barrier blocking
senior women leaders in organizations. High-powered executive and professional
women are increasingly opting out of, being bypassed, or otherwise disappearing
from the highly professional workforce. While this exists, true diversity in
organizations will not happen.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw CMD,
BIOCON opined in International women's
day is not only about celebrating the role of women in society, but about
drawing attention to gender issues that continue to affect our modern society
as well. Hillary Clinton says it will take another
stab at cracking what she calls "the highest and hardest glass
ceiling" on Sunday when she starts a long-awaited second run for the White
House as the prohibitive Democratic front runner. Clinton's campaign for the
November 2016 election will emphasize her plans to address economic inequality
and will tout the historic nature of her bid to become the first woman US
president.
Matt
Bosrock, Deputy CEO of HSBC Bank of Canada and Sue Paish say that there is
still a societal expectation that women should be taking care of their families
at home while simultaneously pursuing their careers, an expectation not shared
for men. A major part of the problem lies in leadership stereotypes. It is
still a predominant view that good male leaders are ‘tough and
shrewd’,-desirable traits to many. Women's leadership traits are viewed as
nurturing and caring, viewed by many as ‘weak and soft’.
Diversity programs aimed at closing the
management gender gap won’t work, though, if they’re viewed as remedial, said
Temin, founder of New York-based Temin and Co. Some industries have better
track records of promoting women into top positions than others. Professional
services firms, including accounting and financial services companies, are also
advancing more women into management roles.
India stands No.1 in women
empowerment. The democratic country people elect the women leaders as their
President of India, Prime Minister, Lock Sabha Speaker, Chief Minister. Women
in business and management have more choices than ever before and are able to
clearly define their goals for accomplishing success. India has a number of
noted women entrepreneurs who have made a mark on the national and
international scene and made a name for themselves. Amaraj Aga- Chairperson of
Thermax Power Ltd., Sulayaja Motwani- MD of Kinetic Engineering, Kiran Mazumdar
Shaw- Chairperson of Biocon, Hema Ravichandar – Senior Vice-President, Infosys
Technolgies, Sangita Singh- Vice-President, Wipro Technologies, Preethi
Reddy-MD of Apollo Hospitals Group, Shahnaz Hussain –CMD of Shahnaz Hussain
Group of Herbal Beauty Products, Ekta Kapoor-Creative Director of Balaji
Telefilms are few to name from among a big list of successful and powerful
Indian women entrepreneurs. These women entrepreneurs have attributed their
success in their enterprise to hard work, dedication, determination, and
self-confidence. Indian women leaders are breaking the glass ceiling
effectively and efficiently.
Measures to Overcome Glass Ceiling
·
Women wanting to become senior leaders need
to know how to integrate into a leadership team. Women aspiring to senior leadership
positions need to demonstrate their value and abilities to the organization,
and not have a sense of entitlement.
·
Start with the introduction to communication skills and learn to use as
many of these tools as possible.
·
To concentrate on areas of your performance that you can improve.
·
Set objectives to align your competencies with top management. Once you
know your target, set goals to get there. You're responsible for determining
your own career direction.
·
Be proactive and go after what you want, because it probably won't be
handed to you.
·
Every
woman should attend leadership development programs for women were a top way to
encourage female advancement.
·
Every woman should also build relationships (network) with other people
in your organization.
·
A woman having a mentor is a powerful way to break through the glass
ceiling. The barriers that woman face have likely been there for a long time.
Past practices, biases and stereotypes, and old ideas are often long
established at the top of many organizations. A mentor can also be a great
source of ideas for women’s professional development and growth.
·
Every woman should build reputation. Ultimately, the way to
get ahead is to get noticed. Woman wants people to see her competence,
leadership abilities, communication skills, technical knowledge, and any other
competencies that are typical of people at the top. Develop skills and network
with people so that her name becomes associated with top management potential.
To do this, her need to build a reputation as the kind of person who fits the
description of top management.
·
Visibility is very important. Seek high-profile projects. Speak up and
contribute in meetings.
·
Stereotyping is cognitive shortcut people are
often unaware impacts their perceptions of others. People need to understand
their blind spots so they don't repeat behaviours that reinforce negative
biases.
·
There are many women's organizations demanding equality in the
workplace, that these groups are actually doing more of a disservice than they
are breaking the glass. Demanding something of someone never solves problems;
it just Band-Aids the issue. If the problem were actually solved, we wouldn't
be having this conversation, 67 years after Indian independence the equal
rights and equal protection Acts was signed into law.
Conclusion
There is a need for change
for women in the workplace, but as with anything, change starts with us. We
must believe we can have it all, accept our choices and then form strong
alliances with each other. Demanding men treat women in a way that we don't
even treat ourselves is counterproductive and, in the end, will ensure the
glass ceiling always exists.
We place too much weight on the existence of
the glass ceiling. Perception is reality, and because we waste a lot of energy
believing and put up with the idea that there is this metaphoric barrier in our
way, it's killing our confidence. Everyone faces obstacles in their careers –
even men. If you really want to get ahead you must tune out that noise and just
go for it. When we pay attention to this so-called glass ceiling, we give it
validation and, in turn, invalidate ourselves. Just because there is an
obstacle in your way doesn't mean you have to accept it. We make
choices and then complain about them. The women who complain about
inequality in the workplace are often the same women who want flexible work
schedules or other benefits so that they can have it all.
Traditionally, the glass ceiling was a concept applied to women and some
minorities. It was very hard, if not impossible, for them to reach upper
management positions. No matter how qualified or experienced, they simply were
not given opportunities to further advance their careers.
Today, there are many women and minorities in powerful positions.
However, the glass ceiling is still very real. And it's not always limited to
gender or race. The glass ceiling is extremely variable. The glass ceiling as a
concept seems obsolete faced with the tangled reality of women in the workplace
in the wake of feminism.
Still difficult for women to break
the glass ceiling. There’s nothing wrong with talking
about barriers for growth for women in the workplace, but much of the
conversation today paints the proverbial glass ceiling as if it's something
women have no control over. Women do have control, and in some ways, are to
blame for the glass ceiling's continued existence.
References
- Ch.
Maheswari Rambai, Dr.Gandham Sri Rama Krishna, Dr.
N.G.S.Prasad(2013),“Occupational Stress and Self-efficacy in Private
Sector" was published by the LAP Lambert Publishing House, Germany.
ISBN: 978-3-8465-8557-3.
·
Dr.Gandham Sri Rama Krishna(2012),“Efficacy and Self-Efficacy” published
in the journal of HRD Times, Chennai, July, 2012, Vol. 14, No.7, PP. 20-21. ISSN: 0976-7401.
Dr.K.P.Malathi Shiri(2013), Glass Ceiling: A Growing HR
Concern, HRD Times, Channai, March, Vol.15, No.3, PP17-18.
·
David
A.Cotter, Joan M.Hermsen, Seth Ovadia, Reeve Vanneman,(2001), Ghe Glass Ceiling
Effect, Socail Forces, 80:2, December, The University of North Carolina Press.
·
Morrison,
A.M., Schreiber, C.T., & Price, K.F.(1995). A Glass Ceiling Survey:
Benchmarking barriers and Practices, Greensboro, NC: Centre for Creative
Leadership.
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