Academic literature on the topic 'Glass Ceiling Theory'

Working women worldwide have faced career difficulties. Examples of this include women academic leaders in India where negative cultural beliefs about women moving to the top-management positions (also referred to as glass ceiling) still exist. Although they are highly educated and competent workers, they have unequal opportunities to be organizational leaders or top executives. Academic women with greater knowledge and abilities can actually perform as academic leaders, and they can support educational development of the country. Government and educational institutions should realize the potential of academic women and provide them with equal opportunities for career advancement in organizations. In order to get a better understanding of glass ceiling of India’s women academic leaders, the concepts and theories related to glass ceiling, particularly in the Asian context, are discussed in this article. It provides a theoretical framework of glass ceiling which is based on two theories of justice, namely Rawlsian theory and utilitarian theory. Educational institutions that more effectively apply the theoretical framework of justice to their management practices are hypothesized to have lesser glass ceiling problems than others.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify hurdles in women’s rise up the organizational ladder through the epistemic concept of the glass ceiling phenomenon. The secondary aim is to determine how the glass ceiling effect results in women’s failure to secure equal representation in high-ranking executive positions in comparison to males. The study intends to come up with empirical evidences to advance plausible justifications and support for the organizations to manage their workforce with the sense of egalitarianism. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire is administered to a sample of 210 respondents including CEOs, directors, managers, assistants, accountants, doctors and teachers from public and private sectors. The variables that influence the glass ceiling phenomenon are gender (female) represented on the board of directors (BODs), stereotypical behavior and training and development of females to measure the glass ceiling effect. Further, this influence is examined regarding the selection and promotion of the females as candidates, as well as female effectiveness at work. To verify the glass ceiling phenomenon, multiple linear regression analyses with the ordinary least square method are used. Findings Drawing on the perspective of the social role theory, the authors identify plausible causes of the glass ceiling phenomenon in the Asian context. The results show the presence of glass ceiling, particularly characterizing its effects on the selection and promotion of the female candidates and their effectiveness. The authors found that glass ceiling was negatively related to both female effectiveness and “selection and promotion.” It was also identified that research variables such as lesser women’s representation on the BODs, training and development and stereotypical attitude toward women promote glass ceiling. Research limitations/implications The larger sample and data collection from different cultures would have assured more generalizability. The glass ceiling is affected by numerous variables; other factors can also be explored. Practical implications Organizations must consider competitive females in their selection and promotion decision making. Asian countries, especially developing countries such as Pakistan, need to develop policies to encourage active participation of the female workforce in upper echelon. The equal employment policies will reduce the dependency ratio of females, consequently driving the country’s economic growth. Social implications Societies need to change their stereotype attitudes toward women and encourage them to use their potential to benefit societies by shattering glass ceilings that continue to place women at a disadvantage. Developing a social culture that advances women empowerment will contribute to social and infrastructure development in Asian countries. Originality/value This paper adds a thought-provoking attitude of organizations in South Asia, especially in Pakistani societies that play a role in creating a glass ceiling, more so to shatter it even in 2016. This study compels firms in Pakistan and other Asian regions to use unbiased practices by investigating the impact of glass ceiling on female effectiveness that has not previously been conducted in the Asian context. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study of glass ceiling in Pakistani context is first in the literature.

Single mothers face problems not only because of their own status so they have to struggle hard to meet their needs, but also because of patriarchal social construction that presents many challenges to women. This qualitative research is aimed at revealing: the form of glass-ceiling for single mother and their strategies taken to deal with that. This research was conducted in Sidoarjo on five single mothers. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. The theory used is symbolic interaction because it allows researchers to identify research subjects. The results of this study reveal that the glass-ceiling faced by women are domestic responsibilities, sosial control, and underestimation of women. Strategies for dealing with it are sharing work and ignorant of negative responses. The response to the glass-ceiling depends very much on the way of thinking (mind) of women in seeing themselves. When women put themselves away as objects (me) that are powerless against the values that apply, then the choice of action to face the challenges of their lives (glass-ceiling) tends to be compromising and accommodating, whereas if the means adopted are based more on how to see themselves as subjects (I), then the method adopted tends to be uncompromising.

This study examines the impact of organizational culture on executive compensation systems. Organizational culture is found to have a strong impact on the relationship between CEO equity compensation and organizational effectiveness. Compensation patterns found in traditional organizations are interpreted to reflect a Managerial Power Theory of executive compensation. In contrast, in positive organizations, the exercise of managerial power appears to be constrained by the internal values of that organization and the need for the leader to maintain his or her authenticity. Female executives who have penetrated the glass ceiling in both traditional and positive organizations are found to contribute to a culture in which executive compensation reflects an Optimal Contract approach to principle-agent relationships for CEOs and shareholders.

The arrival of the internet has no doubt affected the media business. As of now, the amount of online media outnumbers print media. However, the presence of female journalists across online media newsrooms has not shown significance, especially in decision-making levels. This study examines female journalists working in online media. The glass ceiling theory is used in this study and coupled with the concept of jender and organizational communication. Phenomenology will be the methodology used to examine the journalists’ experience to reach the editorial leader level, editor, or assistant editor. The result of this study also showcases that media outlets with an equal amount of female and male journalists will have equal reporting duties and script editing regardless of jender. The tasks are adjusted to work schedules even with jender- related training programs given to anyone. Meanwhile, media outlets with more male journalists compared to female counterparts provide greater chances for male workers to reach the top level. Despite not annulling the chances for female journalists to reach decision-making levels. Female journalists who succeed in breaching this glass ceiling can do it by showing exceptional work performances. Female employees must be able to penetrate the patriarchal culture that still exists in several Indonesian media because the existence of female journalists provides balanced coverage regarding women.

This article links literature on the glass ceiling to literature on red tape by analyzing how red tape fits into a larger discussion of substantive and formal equality and offers three propositions toward forming a theory of pink tape, as a stepping-stone for future exploratory research to advance the agenda of women in public administration. The theory of pink tape has implications for organizational training, psychological/social health of women, effective management of the public sector, and representative bureaucracy.

Companies are vital agents in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. One key role that businesses can play in achieving the 5th Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality is implementing training programs for their women executives so they can reach top corporate leadership positions. In this paper, we test the effectiveness of an Authentic Leadership Development (ALD) program for women executives. By interviewing 32 participants from this ALD program and building on authentic leadership theory, we find that this program lifts women participants’ self-efficacy perception, as well as their self-resolution to take control of their careers. The driver for both results is a reflective thinking process elicited during the program that leads women to abandon the stereotype of a low status role and lack of self-direction over time. Through the relational authenticity developed during the program, women participants develop leadership styles that are more congenial with their gender group, yet highly accepted by the in-group leader members, which enhances their social capital. After the program, the women participants flourished as authentic leaders, were able to activate and foster their self-esteem and social capital, and enhanced their agency in career advancement, increasing their likelihood of breaking the glass ceiling.

Purpose In 1979, Rosemary Pledger became the first female President of the Academy of Management (AOM). AOM, through scholarship and teaching about management and organizations, is well known for its contributions to the development of modern management theory. The purpose of this paper is to understand and analyze the human and social influencers which enabled Pledger’s career success. She climbed to the top of her profession and became a role model for other professional women, especially in the academic field; she successfully cracked the glass ceiling. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a qualitative methodology as most appropriate to examine the research question of how Pledger used human and social skills to overcome barriers to career success. In addition to her biographical data, the authors analyzed 1,593 pages of documents from the AOM Archives at the Khell Center, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Findings Pledger succeeded because she developed strong human and social capital critical for career success and career mobility. Becoming part of the top management team in three organizations – the AOM, the Southwestern AOM and the University of Houston – Clear Lake City is evidence of her skill in using her capital to crack the glass ceiling. Research limitations/implications The limitation of author interpretation of secondary data is recognized. Practical implications This work illustrates the appropriateness of qualitative research, specifically, in placing important management figures in context, and it makes clear how human and social capital factors are critical to career success for women. Originality/value AOM’s contribution to the development of modern management theory is widely recognized; however, there is a lack of studies related to the career successes of AOM’s female leaders. This paper chronicles the career life of Rosemary Pledger who became the first female president of the AOM and a successful Dean and examines the factors that contributed to her career success despite the presence of a glass ceiling.

Research on the glass ceiling shows that women may encounter obstacles in their pursuit of high-level management positions. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test the explanatory style theoretical framework by examining relationships between women's glass ceiling beliefs, career advancement satisfaction, and quit intention and to determine whether satisfaction with career advancement opportunities mediated the relationship between glass ceilings beliefs and quit intention. Data were collected from 179 working women in the public or private sector and women who exited the public or private sector job market within the past 5 years via Web-based surveys. Glass ceiling beliefs were assessed using the Career Pathways Survey (CPS), career advancement satisfaction was assessed using the Career Satisfaction Measure, and quit intention was assessed using the Intention to Quit Scale and data were analyzed using multiple regression and correlational statistical techniques. Findings indicated significant relationships between the principal variables. Results also showed that career advancement satisfaction had a significant mediating effect on denial, resilience, and acceptance glass ceiling beliefs and quit intention. Findings may be used to help women understand how their glass ceiling beliefs and career satisfaction drivers influence their reaction to workplace events and may be used by employers to implement proactive retention strategies.

Gender discrimination is an ongoing topic, including discrimination that occurs in higher education. Previous studies have shown female faculty experience a variety of workplace discrimination including sexual harassment/bullying, salary disparities, and lack of worklife balance. This dissertation aimed to analyze equity issues for female faculty at a private university. The researcher utilized a narrative inquiry methodology, conducting interviews with five full-time female faculty. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the participants’ everyday stories and lived experiences. The researcher utilized critical feminist theory and leadership theory to examine the notion of equity at this campus. The findings, shown through narrative profiles, demonstrate the five women have experienced equity issues at the institution including workplace bullying and lack of work-life balance. It also found the women utilize a self-silencing voice, struggling between challenging equity issues while maintaining their positions at the university. In addition, gender issues experienced prior to working at the university were discussed, demonstrating larger societal issues in relation to gender equity. This dissertation adds to the current studies on equity issues in higher education by focusing on the participants’ stories rather than quantitative or coded data. In addition, it bridged two seemingly disparate frameworks, critical feminist theory and leadership theory, to demonstrate how these concepts can work toward alleviating equity issues in organizations.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the progression and perception of the glass ceiling today, against the backdrop of decades of changing social developments, including changing demographics, economies, and technological advancements; legislative mandates; organizational structures with a more humanistic approach to human capital; a shift toward collaborative intra- and interagency organizational management; and an unprecedented active citizenry.

Theoretical Framework. The theoretical framework was based on three foundational theories: organizational theory, feminist theory, and collaborative management theory.

Methodology. This study included 12 participants, all executive-level women at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) from the deputy executive officer level and above. A semistructured interview approach was utilized to best capture each participant’s perceptions in relation to career advancement since each participant’s experience was different and due to the highly political climate associated with executive-level positions.

Findings. The glass ceiling is still pervasive, and all participants indicated being personally impacted by it. Comparable pay is still an issue, occupational segregation is still commonplace, children and marriage are still barriers to advancement, and despite in many cases women surpassing men in educational attainment, disparity at the top continues. Diversity has created unprecedented opportunity, even if by default. Work–life balance continues to be an issue. Technological advances and shifts to knowledge-based work are expected to increase career advancement. Feminine traits such as nurturing and consensus building that were once seen as negatives are now viewed as positive traits in collaborative structures.

Conclusions and Recommendations. The results of this study support the overall literature review and the researcher’s position that emerging changes in social and organizational structures, especially a shift to more humanistic and collaborative organizational structures, will create career advancement opportunities for women. However, since this a rapidly evolving structure, management/organizational reporting structures need to evolve as well. Women must educate themselves in nontraditional female fields like engineering and the sciences. Joining professional organizations, networking, and mentoring need to be practiced. Lastly, women must be committed to growth and know that they will have to work harder than men, have more education and credentials, and continue to push on the ceiling until it shatters.

Agentic women continue to be penalized for success in male-dominated industries, resulting in gender discrimination and differing opportunity structures (Foschi, 2000). The purpose of the proposed study is to see how an employee’s gender and status in male-dominated corporate settings influence participants’ perceptions of competency, liking, and consequences after the employee makes a mistake. These dependent variables will also be examined in relationship to participants’ level of sexism. Approximately 132 participants will be recruited from high technology companies, and will read a vignette about a male or female and entry-level or executive employee who makes a mistake. They will then answer competency, liking, and firing questions, as well as Glick & Fiske’s (1996) Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. Participants are expected to perceive females more negatively than males, and executives more negatively than entry-level employees. Additionally, female executives will be perceived as the least competent, and will be the least well liked. It is also predicted that they will be most likely fired. This study may add important information on gender stereotyping in the workplace, and further explore how an employee’s status in the company influences perceptions of the employee. The implications of the proposed study for future research are also discussed.

This quantitative study conducted by two students at Umeå University, studies if there are gender differences when it comes to salary and top positions in the accounting and auditing industry in Sweden. Previous studies have found that these differences, or gaps can relate to the glass ceiling theory. This theory is considered a phenomenon and a metephor wherein women can see through the glass to those top levels of the career ladder, but are unable to reach them as there is a ceiling, a gap, to prevent that from happening. Sweden is one of the most gender balanced countries in the world, but despite that the wage equality for similar work in Sweden is 74%. Since women with children work more often than men part-time, this leads to a less positive career, wage development and a poor pension for women. We analyzed previous studies to understand that the glass ceiling theory involved not only salary but also position inequalities based on gender. This information was used to create surveys which we sent electronically (via email) to auditors and accountants all over Sweden. This thesis is based on analysis of the survey and annual reports from 2017. Our results show that there are differences between gender when it comes to wages throughout the career ladder. Men have higher wages than women in the same positions. This applies to both office-level and up to executive positions. Differences in salaries between men and women also apply to both authorized and approved auditors when men have the higher average salary. That is also the same among those who had other leadership positions and among those who had a support function. We could not show major differences in top positions between genders. Most positions are gender balanced, which means that they are between 40-60%, except for at the CEO and partner level which is mostly men and the accounting manager position which is represented only by women. Our results show that there is gender-based inequality in salary but not in position; therefore, the glass ceiling theory is not currently in effect. This is important research as it not only expands knowledge of glass ceiling theory but also into the accounting and auditing fields. It found areas for improvement for both theoretical and practical use. We finish the thesis by referring to recommendations for future studies, such as focusing on lower levels and more accounting economics, authorised consultants, etc.

With consideration to logit regressions for the binary leader variable:Even though Cotter's 4 criteria leader and Leader model 2 did not have the highest adjusted R² with ols regression, it is important to see that in a logit regression, which is a more appropriate regression type since the leader variable is binary, that gender was not significant. Therefore, the conclusions remain the same.

Are men and women equally likely to be perceived by people to possess similar requisite characteristics in comparable yet diverse occupations within management, leadership, and entrepreneurship? Because modern workplaces continue to be impacted by the persistence of varying perceptions of men and women about requisite attributes of successful people in several organizational roles, the concept of gender bias and occupational stereotypes has warranted the attention of theoreticians, scholars, and practitioners to a large extent (Koch, D’Mello, & Sackett, 2015; Kuwabara & Thébaud, 2017; Pinker, 2003; Pinker & Spelke, 2005). Although empirical evidence clearly indicates that gender inequalities in the workplace can have a significant effect on peoples’ perceptions about different characteristics of individuals in general and in specific organizational roles, there is a paucity of research examining these perceptions in a variety of leadership positions. Previous literature has investigated the gendered construction and re-construction of these professions but only to a limited extent (Gupta, Turban, Wasti, & Sikdar, 2009; Heilman, 2001, 2012; Heilman, Wallen, Fuchs, & Tamkins, 2004; Koenig, Eagly, Mitchell, & Ristikari, 2011; Kuwabara & Thébaud, 2017; Ryan, Haslam, Hersby, & Bongiorno, 2011; Schein, 1973, 1975, 2001). However, research in years past has not yet examined the full range of industry and entrepreneurial contexts that may create gender typecasting of roles. By extension, the current study focuses on how the gender-differentiated perceptions of men and women influenced the requisite characteristics of successful professional personnel in various managerial, leadership, and entrepreneurial positions. Specifically, given that these professions are influenced by gender-role expectations and stereotypes, this empirical investigation drew from role congruity theory of prejudice (Eagly & Karau, 2002) to examine the relative degree of perceived overlap between the traits associated with specific roles in management, leadership, and entrepreneurship with the traits commonly associated with men and women in general. Primary data were obtained from a diverse sample of 600 (12 x 50) working adults in the United States (N = 600, 300 women, 300 men) between the ages of 21 and 65. This was accomplished using an online survey designed via Qualtrics and administered through Amazon’s MTurk, from the lens of the classic think manager-think male (TMTM) research paradigm (Schein, 1973, 1975, 2001). The instrument used for data collection was the 92-item Schein Descriptive Index (SDI), which was used to describe sex role stereotypes and perceived requisite characteristics of twelve distinct target groups. The results of this study indicate that the perceived requisite traits of successful leaders and entrepreneurs are construed in predominantly masculine terms. These findings support and further inform the nature, existence, significance, and persistence of the “think manager-think male stereotype effect” (TMTM effect) and the “glass ceiling phenomenon” across a variety of managerial, leadership, and entrepreneurial roles, contexts, and industries. The TMTM effect was stronger among high tech entrepreneurs, CEOs, and entrepreneurs in general, whereas it was lessened for entrepreneurs in educational and health care roles, as well as for middle managers. Additionally, consistent with prior research, TMTM effects were generally either more likely to occur, or were stronger in magnitude among male raters than among female raters. These results largely support role congruity theory of gender differences in management and leadership that indicate incongruity of female gender stereotypes in general with stereotypes about high-status and prominent occupational roles in various organizations (Eagly & Karau, 2002). Specifically, the perceived trait overlap was noted to generally be stronger between men in general and successful leaders in various roles than that between women in general and successful leaders in various similar roles. The findings of the current study are expected to be valuable for those seeking to encourage opportunity regardless of candidate gender in management, entrepreneurship, and leadership, as well as for those promoting the role of women’s advancement in these professions. The study’s results have both theoretical and practical implications. Understanding these perceptions can have a significant impact on the gender biases prevalent in society, in organizations, and even across the specific entrepreneurial contexts and industries investigated within the current study. In today’s super-competitive business environment, firms must appreciate the importance of fostering equal opportunity, avoiding gender biases, and facilitating racial and ethnic diversity.

Nas duas últimas décadas, o Brasil experimentou profundas transformações sociais. De acordo com os dados da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (Pnad), do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), as mulheres tinham 5,2 anos de estudo em 1992, e passaram a ter 7,7 anos, em 2009, registrando-se um aumento de 48,1% (Ipea, 2010). Dados do Ministério do Trabalho e Emprego, divulgados no website Folha_Uol, (2015) demonstram que aumentou a participação feminina no mercado formal de trabalho, embora as mulheres com ensino superior recebessem o equivalente a 60% do salário masculino. Dados do Ipea (Pinheiro, Fontoura, Querino, Bonetti, & Rosa, 2008) demonstram a renda familiar per capita média nas famílias chefiadas por homem branco é de R$ 997,00, ao passo que naquelas chefiadas por mulher negra é de apenas R$ 491,00, ou seja, menos da metade. Algo bem na contramão da propalada democracia racial brasileira. Apesar do aumento do número de mulheres no mercado de trabalho, de acordo com Peggy, Dwyer e Roberts (2004), a agenda de gênero da profissão contábil ajuda o imperialismo, e, com isso \"tem facilitado o projeto imperial norte-americano, uma vez que permite a manutenção de mulheres a um baixo custo\" (p.176), relacionando esse fato com a ideologia da domesticidade. Ademais, Bebbington, Thomson e Wall (1997) concluem que os estudantes de contabilidade mostram uma tendência para um modelo masculino construído ou andrógino, em vez da identidade feminina; o que encontra amparo na teoria da performatividade de Butler (2012), objeto deste estudo. Isso resulta da manutenção de estereótipos, como a ideia de que a atuação contábil é eminentemente voltada para os homens. Com base no exposto, as mulheres podem até estar ganhando o \'jogo de números\', para tanto, arcam com um custo que implica a eliminação ou não evidenciação das características do gênero feminino. Ou seja, cresceu a participação feminina no mercado de trabalho, mas ainda há muitas barreiras, em boa medida subjetivas, estabelecidas via processos de fechamento, conforme foi visto, e que se impõem no percurso de uma mulher que almeja alcançar êxito em espaços de prestígio, independentemente do seu nível de qualificação. O fenômeno conhecido como \"teto de vidro\" representa as várias barreiras simbólicas, impostas sutilmente - por isso ditas transparentes -, mas suficientemente fortes para impossibilitar a ascensão de mulheres aos mais altos postos da hierarquia organizacional. Se observado em termos de mercado, o fenômeno pode ser constatado em diferentes países. Esse cenário leva a acreditar que nesse processo de transformação social, em que são requeridos novos papéis, faz-se necessário revisitar perspectivas sobre identidade sexual, bem como rever a produção e manutenção dos discursos de gênero que dão sustentação a essas novas identidades. No Brasil, conforme dados já relatados, embora tenhamos avançado em termos de qualificação, a mulher ainda sofre restrições para acesso profissional e enfrenta condições desiguais de trabalho e remuneração. Parece existir um conjunto de barreiras reais e simbólicas que impedem as mulheres de ascender profissionalmente. Na área de contabilidade, as mulheres são expostas a discursos e práticas eminentemente machistas. Esses discursos estruturam práticas e reificam a leitura da mulher como incapaz de assumir funções de mais responsabilidade. Diante do exposto, e de um quadro de não acesso das mulheres a cargos de liderança, acredita-se que, em um processo de violência psíquica, o \"discurso contábil\" nega, particularmente à mulher negra - que ao longo de sua vida sofre três tipos específicos de discriminação: por ser mulher, por ser pobre, em sua maioria, e por ser negra - sua identidade como profissional habilitada para o exercício de suas funções, particularmente em espaços de poder e prestígio. Assim, o estudo teve por objetivo investigar se o fenômeno conhecido como \"teto de vidro\" (glass ceiling) está presente nas interações cotidianas, por meio de processos de sexualização e racialização enfrentados durante a trajetória acadêmica de mulheres negras, em contabilidade, no Brasil. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, a partir de um posicionamento pós-estruturalista, para a qual foram utilizadas técnicas autoetnográficas e de história oral, com dados coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, realizadas em profundidade, com professoras egressas de programas de pós-graduação, analisados sob a perspectiva interpretativista. Os resultados encontrados demonstram que o fenômeno conhecido como \"teto de vidro\" também está presente na contabilidade, o que resulta em barreiras específicas do campo. Para chegar a esse resultado, foi preciso superar algumas limitações, sendo a principal a falta de incentivo para o desenvolvimento do estudo, dado o caráter inovador da proposta, em uma área de conhecimento e em um lócusem que os estudos interdisciplinares ainda são a exceção. Obras sobre gênero e raça, até aqui, não foram objeto de estudos na contabilidade no Brasil. No entanto, espera-se que esta pesquisa possa funcionar como uma abertura para novos estudos nessa temática. Com isso, a contabilidade estará agindo diretamente para a promoção da igualdade, rompendo com fechamentos estabelecidos, e, portanto, para a transformação social.
Through the last two decades, our society has experienced profound social changes. According to data from the Brazilian Statistics Bureau (IBGE)\'s Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD, the National Household Sampling Survey), women had an average 5,2 years of study in 1992 which grew to 7,7 years in 2009, rising 47% (IBGE apud Ipea, 2010). Data from the Ministry of Labor (MTE, 2013) shows that female participation in the formal job market rose, yet women with higher education degrees still receive only 60% of men\'s salaries as remuneration. Ipea (2011) data on income show that the per capita family income of a family headed by a white man is 997 Brazilian Reais (R$), while for a family headed by an black women is only R$ 491 - that is, less than half that of a white man\'s family, running counter to the oft-heralded Brazilian \'racial democracy\'. In spite of the increase in the number of women in the job market, according to Peggy, Dwyer and Roberts (2004) the gender agenda of the accounting profession facilitates the north-american imperialist project by enabling firms to employ competent female workers at minimal cost; this would be related to the domesticity ideology, that is, the idea that domestic life is the ideal life for women. Further studies such as that of Bebbington, Thomson and Wall (1997) conclude that accounting students tend to express their gender through masculine or androgynous identities rather than feminine, in accordance to Butler\'s (2012) theory of performativity which states that gender roles are performed as a result of social influences. This \'masculinization\' of accounting students results from the upkeep of stereotypes, such as the idea that accounting is eminently male. Based on this, Bebbington et al (1997) conclude that \"women may be winning the \'numbers game\' but at a cost--that cost being the elimination of feminine gender characteristics\". In other words, female participation in the job market has risen, but there are still many barriers - a significant part of which are subjective - established through closure processesand these barriers impose themselves on the path of women who desire to succeed in positions of prestige, regardless of those women\'s qualification level. The phenomenon known as \'glass ceiling\' represents the various symbolic barriers, imposed subtly - thus transparent, like glass - but strongly enough that they prevent women from rising to the higher positions of the organization hierarchy. Observed in market terms, the phenomenon can be found to happen in many different countries around the world. This scenario has led us to believe that in this process of social transformation, in which new roles are required, revising perspectives on gender identity is necessary, as well as reviewing the production and maintenance of the gender discourses that support these new identities. In Brazil, as per previously related data, in spite of the advances in terms of qualification, women still suffer with unequal work conditions and restrictions to professional access. There seems to exist a group of real and symbolic barriers that keep women from climbing the career ladder. In accounting, women are exposed to eminently machist discourses and practices; the former structure the latter and reify the image of women as being unable to assume positions of higher responsibility. In the face of this and of a scenario in which women are denied access to leadership positions, it is believed that black women are particularly denied by the \'accounting discourse\'; discriminated throughout their lives not only for being women, but also for being black and often poor, they are, through a process of psychological violence, denied their identity as professionals enabled to exercise their functions, especially in positions of power and prestige. Thus, the goal of this study is to investigate whether the phenomenon known as glass ceiling is present in day-to-day interactions, in the form of sexualization and racialization processes faced by black women along their academic trajectories in Brazilian accounting. The research follows a qualitative approach from a poststructuralist stance, using autoethnographic and oral history techniques; data was collected through semistructured interviews, realized in depth with PhD/Master professors and analyzed from the interpretivist perspective. The results found show that the glass ceiling phenomenon is also present in accounting, resulting in barriers specific to the field. To reach this result some limitations needed to be overcome, the main one being the lack of incentive to the development of the study given the innovative character of the proposal - especially in a field and in a locus in which interdisciplinary studies are still the exception. Studies on both gender and race have not, until now, been objects of study in Brazilian accounting. However, I hope this research may pave a way for future works in this theme. With this, accounting will be acting directly towards the promotion of equality, breaking through established closures and enabling social change.

This qualitative study explores the interrelationship between perceived gender discrimination and its antecedents and consequences while examining the concept of the glass ceiling that presents some barriers to the career advancement of Bahraini female workers in the banking sector. The study examines female bankers’ perception of the existence of both gender discrimination and the glass ceiling concept in this sector. It first examines the factors that cause such phenomena at three different levels namely societal, institutional and individual. The study then verifies the effects of some identified antecedents i.e. whether they foster or lower the perceived gender discrimination and how such effects happen. Furthermore, the study examines the same factors to ascertain if they are barriers that hinder women’s career advancement or enablers that support their advancement as there is a lack of empirical studies on the effect of the factors of the three mentioned levels to women’s career advancement especially in non-western context (Tlaiss, 2010; Hejase et al., 2013; Yokkongdi & Benson, 2005). The study also examines the consequences of perceived gender discrimination that occurs at the individual level. Some previous studies related to this research topic adopted the quantitative approach, hence; this is a qualitative based research that examines the perception of the respondents whose experiences and opinions expound the context. This led to understanding subjective areas such as respondents’ emotions and experiences that address the nature of perceived gender discrimination and the concept of glass ceiling in the Bahraini banking sector, focusing on “How” and “Why” type of questions instead of stressing on the quantities. The existing literature of gender discrimination especially about the area of underrepresentation of female workers in higher positions especially in financial services sector including banking is minimal. (Bruckmuller & Branscombe, 2010; Elumti et al., 2009; Durbin & Conley, 2010). This approach unveils the research questions by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 26 Bahraini females as most of the previous studies examined both male and female perceptions while this research focusing at female only to make it more gender specific. The respondents hold managerial and non-managerial positions in both Islamic and conventional banks in the kingdom of Bahrain. The aim of the interview was to extract their perceptions on the factors and the consequences of gender discrimination as well as the barriers and challenges that hinder their advancement to higher managerial levels. The study captures the factors and the consequences of gender discrimination as well as the most common barriers that impede the Bahraini females’ career advancement within an Islamic and Arabic cultural context. The themes that emerged from the analysis are used to discuss the research issues in the light of previous research findings from different empirical studies. This study identifies different ways of finding factors of perceived gender discrimination and their effects as well as the challenges that may hinder the women’s career advancement in this sector. This study discovers that perceived gender discrimination exists in the Bahraini banking sector especially in areas such as hiring preference and receiving of benefits and compensations. This study also unearths the existence of glass ceiling, which is related to the gender inequality in the advancement opportunities to higher positions especially in the areas such as obtaining a promotion and holding managerial positions in the banks. The study finds out various factors that cause the perceived gender discrimination and the glass ceiling in the Bahraini banking sector which are classified at three levels as explained above.

Cameroon’s informal labour market largely harbours female workers, engaged mainly in low-productivity and low-paying jobs. We investigate the sticky floor and glass ceiling phenomena in the informal labour market as a whole and across its segments. We use the 2010 Cameroon labour market survey, employing the recentred influence function and blending the Oaxaca-Ransom and Neuman-Oaxaca decomposition methods. The resulting framework enables us to account for selectivity bias at the mean, resolve the index number problem of the standard decomposition, and examine earnings differentials across the unconditional earnings distribution. We find compelling evidence of a sticky floor phenomenon in the informal labour market manifested essentially among wage earners. Returns to experience mitigate the gender earnings gap at the mean, and 10th and 50th percentiles of the unconditional earnings distribution. Female workers have an unambiguous human-capital-based advantage over their male counterparts at the mean, lower tail, and median of the distribution.

Cultural subordination is defined here as the suppression of important black values or folk ways—questions and concerns of keen importance to blacks—in the American mainstream culture. Like juridical subordination, cultural subordination is animated by post-Jim Crow norms that perform important rhetorical and regulatory functions in civil rights discourse—racial omission (traditionalism), racial integration (reformism), racial solidarity (limited separation), and social transformation (critical race theory). After defending the belief that blacks do have a distinct set of values that transcend class stratification, and after discussing the legitimacy of cultural diversity in American society, this chapter crafts four models of cultural diversity defined by these post-Jim Crow norms—cultural assimilation (traditionalism), biculturalism (reformism), cultural pluralism (limited separation), and transculturalism (critical race theory). It then proceeds to explain how most of these visions of cultural diversity subordinate legitimate black values. Deploying these models to purposefully enhance our racial democracy, which lies at the root of cultural diversity, can reduce (but not entirely eliminate) racial subordination in the American mainstream culture.

Glass ceilings are invisible organizational barriers encountered by underrepresented groups in large hierarchies. This chapter empirically investigates the existence and characteristics of an internal, government-wide glass ceiling for female employees using aggregate pay grade and demographic data on nearly 1.5 million U.S. Federal employees between 2001-2011. The external consequences for over 15,000 technology ventures seeking R&D funding from 12 federal agencies is explored. In this context, the researchers analyze over 50,000 grants and find that a unit increase in a novel, government-wide, glass ceiling measure is a meaningful and negative predictor of subsequent Phase II funding outcomes for Phase I grantees. More importantly, the negative external effects of the identified glass ceilings are significantly larger for women technology entrepreneurs when compared to their male counterparts.

Glass ceilings are invisible organizational barriers encountered by underrepresented groups in large hierarchies. This chapter empirically investigates the existence and characteristics of an internal, government-wide glass ceiling for female employees using aggregate pay grade and demographic data on nearly 1.5 million U.S. Federal employees between 2001-2011. The external consequences for over 15,000 technology ventures seeking R&D funding from 12 federal agencies is explored. In this context, the researchers analyze over 50,000 grants and find that a unit increase in a novel, government-wide, glass ceiling measure is a meaningful and negative predictor of subsequent Phase II funding outcomes for Phase I grantees. More importantly, the negative external effects of the identified glass ceilings are significantly larger for women technology entrepreneurs when compared to their male counterparts.

Inequalities between women and men continue in global labor markets. Although the inclusion of women as labor force increases day by day, their representation in senior management levels remains insufficient. Women continue to face several barriers preventing them from attaining equal access, participation, and progress in the business environment. Within this chapter, the authors discuss two types of career barriers called “glass ceiling” and “glass cliff,” which women encounter frequently in their work life. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a general perspective on barriers of women's career advancement and to examine glass ceiling and glass cliff the in its background, its causes, and its consequences. The chapter also aims to analyze studies which criticize the concept of glass ceiling. The results of the chapter are expected to be a source for researchers in the areas of women's career barriers, women's leadership, and gender inequality.

Inequalities between women and men continue in global labor markets. Although the inclusion of women as labor force increases day by day, their representation in senior management levels remains insufficient. Women continue to face several barriers preventing them from attaining equal access, participation, and progress in the business environment. Within this chapter, the authors discuss two types of career barriers called “glass ceiling” and “glass cliff,” which women encounter frequently in their work life. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a general perspective on barriers of women's career advancement and to examine glass ceiling and glass cliff the in its background, its causes, and its consequences. The chapter also aims to analyze studies which criticize the concept of glass ceiling. The results of the chapter are expected to be a source for researchers in the areas of women's career barriers, women's leadership, and gender inequality.

This chapter lays the foundation for an understanding of the socio-legal race problem and possible solutions. It begins with the Supreme Court’s inglorious racial history in which the Court, from Dred Scott up to Brown v. Board of Education, engaged in a pattern and practice of sabotaging black equality granted by Congress. Racial oppression, including the torture and murder of blacks without trial, was part of a national narrative largely written by the Supreme Court. Brown was a conscious attempt by the Court to reverse its inglorious racial past. Brown had a profound effect on racial progress, changing the legal status of blacks which in turn greatly improved their socioeconomic and socio-cultural position in our society. But the Court, in the years following this landmark decision, did not remain faithful to the spirit of Brown. It began to impede black progress through its civil rights rulings by suppressing the black equality interest litigated in those cases. This is juridical subordination, which can be resolved if the Supreme Court remains faithful to the spirit of Brown. This is good social policy.

The mission of this chapter is to discuss the glass ceiling and the contributing factors that seem to impact faculty members at HBCUs continuously; provide insight on effective strategies to avoid pitfalls, and to provide helpful recommendations to advance to new grounds once the glass ceiling becomes unbreakable. While steps have been made to examine the impact of a positive environment, the individual is ultimately responsible for personal growth in their chosen environment.

This study focuses on employment status and mobilization processes of women at 102 hospitals in 12 provinces of Turkey. The main question of the research is whether women face glass ceiling problem at hospitals, which are the locomotive stations of the healthcare sector. According to research findings based on institutional analysis, questionnaires and in-depth interviews, there is an obvious glass ceiling problem at hospitals. Although the proportion of women working at hospitals is higher than that of men, there are more men at administrative level than women. In this respect, no significant difference has been found between private hospitals and public hospitals. In both sectors, women clearly fall behind men regarding mobilization processes. This is due to working conditions and social relations within hospitals as well as personal preferences.

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) aims at making explicit the semantics of a word in context by identifying the most suitable meaning from a predefined sense inventory. Recent breakthroughs in representation learning have fueled intensive WSD research, resulting in considerable performance improvements, breaching the 80% glass ceiling set by the inter-annotator agreement. In this survey, we provide an extensive overview of current advances in WSD, describing the state of the art in terms of i) resources for the task, i.e., sense inventories and reference datasets for training and testing, as well as ii) automatic disambiguation approaches, detailing their peculiarities, strengths and weaknesses. Finally, we highlight the current limitations of the task itself, but also point out recent trends that could help expand the scope and applicability of WSD, setting up new promising directions for the future.

Workplace inclusion is a core component of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Hong Kong. Workplace inclusion points to the need for employers to recognize diversity among employees, to acknowledge their contributions to the work environment and to raise professional standards for the work force. Diversity within a workplace indicates inclusion of persons with different backgrounds as in racial, ethnic, sex, health status, sexual orientation and gender identity. Women are already less represented at senior levels across various business sectors in Hong Kong. Lesbians and bisexual women face a double glass ceiling in the workplace as a result of both their gender and sexual orientation. Funded by Lingnan University’s Innovation and Impact Fund, and in partnership with Interbank Forum and Lesbians in Finance, Prof. Denise Tse-Shang Tang conducted an online survey and two focus groups targeting lesbians and bisexual women working in Hong Kong’s financial and banking industry. The aim of the study is to examine the specific challenges and barriers faced by lesbians and bisexual women in Hong Kong’s financial services industry. We found that only 37% of survey respondents were out at work, with 23% partially out to close colleagues. In other words, there are still key concerns with being out at work. On the issue of a glass ceiling for LGBT+ corporate employees, 18% of the survey respondents agreed and 47% somewhat agreed that such a ceiling exists. When asked whether it is harder for lesbians and bisexual women to come out in the workplace than it is for gay men, 32% agreed and 46% somewhat agreed. 27% agreed and 39% somewhat agreed with the statement that it is difficult for lesbians and bisexual women to climb up the corporate ladder. Other findings pointed to the low visibility of lesbians and bisexual women in corporate settings, lack of mentorship, increased levels of stress and anxiety, and the fear of being judged as both a woman and a lesbian. Masculine-presenting employees face significantly more scrutiny than cisgender female employees. Therefore, even though discussion on diversity and inclusion has been on the agenda for better corporate work environment in Hong Kong, there still remain gaps in raising awareness of lesbian and bisexual women’s issues.