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Yassodia Surujpaul
Professor Thompson
ENG 302 – SN2
7 August, 2015
Paper 3 Research Paper – Draft # 3
Women verses Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Glass ceiling is a term commonly used to describe the invisible barrier that
prevents women from getting further promotions or advancement to corporate or
executive positions. In this regard, males are portrayed as superior and more powerful,
while women are seen as inferior. This is supported by many corporations and
government agencies where most of the upper positions are held by men. Women are
usually given the necessary supportive positions where indirectly, they help to keep the
men leadership positions in power. Overall, power, prestige, privileges, etc are usually
handed down to males.
Men have always been given these privileges based on their status within
corporations. Patriarchal value structures support male supremacy and as such, they
think they have a right over women. There are few successful women in executive
positions and this makes it very difficult for other women to follow or emulate. Mentoring
is far and few and this makes it very challenging for women to ascend higher up the
corporate ladder. They have to work and prove themselves twice as hard as men to be
considered for the same job. Even then, women do not receive the same benefits as
their male counterparts. Some corporations also exclude women from some social
gatherings and as such, developing rapport with potential clients, colleagues, and male
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bosses becomes more difficult. At these gatherings, positive relationships are created,
and excluding women, place them at an even greater disadvantage. When women are
excluded from these informal networks, their male counterparts advance based on their
hands on performance, skills, and experience. This may be referred to as harassment,
as situations like these, where women are excluded, creates an atmosphere of
inequality. The benefits of informal networking lead to upward mobility as it incorporate
professional support and encouragement.
Demographics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics have shown that more women
are now seeking opportunities in higher managerial/administrative positions. However,
the progress made in achieving executive level positions is still relatively low when
compared to men. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women now occupy
almost half of the workforce. However, they are still faced with wage inequality and will
continue to do so unless, men accept the fact that women are equally capable of
achieving and performing the same goals as men. Despite the fact that women achieve
the same educational goals, training, experience etc, and men are of the opinion that
women do not present themselves as aggressive enough, or lacking in self confidence.
According to Dr. Merida Johns in “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Structural, Cultural, and
Organizational Barriers Preventing Women from Achieving Senior and Executive
Positions”, in 1991, the US Congress enacted the “Glass Ceiling Act” establishing the
“Glass Ceiling Commission”. She also stated that the purpose of the commission was to
help overcome the invisible and artificial barriers that block or prevent women from
advancing up the corporate ladder to executive positions.
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Women face many challenges and barriers in attempting to overcome the glass
ceiling. My focus will be on the following barriers:

Pay inequity

Leadership

Education
Pay inequity has always been the greatest disparity factor between men’s and
women’s wages. In many instances, women have to work harder than men to enjoy the
benefits and similar payoff that men enjoy. Compensations were sometimes even
lower than their male counterparts, regardless that they both held the same positions
and had the same educational qualifications. The assumption that a man would provide
for the family, also encourage men to behave the way they do. Women were not
encouraged to improve their education or job prospects; however, in recent times,
women are doing better than they were decades ago. Studies from the U.S. General
Accounting Office show that working women face an additional pay gap. One example
is that women with children experienced a 2.5 percent earnings penalty for each child,
whereas, men received a 2.1 earnings boost for each child.
Women offer many leadership qualities and have made progress in overcoming the
glass ceiling, but, more needs to be done. According to Janet Jackson in “Women
Middle Managers’ Perception of the glass ceiling”, employers need to be more
proactive in offering their support to women in their career advancement”. Corporate
executives need to balance gender roles on each side; otherwise, influential positions
and culture will favor the dominant gender. The CEO’s also needs to address
stereotypes and preconceptions on women. This will help structural and organizational
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barriers to be broken down if successful. In return, female representation on executive
committees and management making decisions will be included.
Research studies conducted by the Glass Ceiling Commission, show that women
have always been better academically than boys in schools and colleges. However, due
of corporate culture, women earn less than men. This can be attributed by women have
less skills and experience due to contributing factor such as childcare, family
responsibilities, etc. Women fall further behind partly due to child bearing; meaning
women would quit their jobs and stay home to take care of the children. Additionally,
women cut back also to take care of aging parents or other family obligations. In that
process, they lose valuable hands on experience and work skills necessary for
promotion. Janet Jackson mentioned that “creating mentoring programs within
organizations will help women increase their confidence and develop critical thinking
and risk taking strategies”. She also stated that there are too few women in executive
positions, so learning or getting the opportunity to emulate is difficult. Women are
hesitant in promoting themselves, and when successful, they give the credit to the team
or circumstances, and when they fail, they blame themselves. Overcoming this self
injustice is problematic, if not difficult, but having the right mentoring can overcome this
and promote self efficacy. More women now hold top executive positions in large
industries. According to the 2014 Fortune 500 Magazine, Marissa Mayer, is the CEO of
Yahoo Inc., Mary Barra is CEO of General Motors, Indra Nooyi, is Chairman and CEO
of Pepisco, and Ginni Rometty is Chairman, CEO, and President of IBM among others.
These women have risen above the challenges to become senior executives in their
companies. The leadership qualities in these women have excelled which led them to
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being successful in their jobs. Successful women find ways and means in matching their
passion with their values in whatever they do. Being proactive in seeking out recognition
for their accomplishments and taking credit for their performances helped them climbed
the corporate ladder. Marissa Mayer, a pregnant CEO is incorporating childbearing and
child rearing into her working life.
In the past two decades, women have made strides in the advancement of
leadership roles in society. Despite women’s increased educational achievement and
workforce ranks, their advancement to upper management or CEO’s has not risen
significantly. This prestige of increased educational achievement gives rise to many
successes, both for the work force and the family relationship. Women leaders have
the insights and skills necessary for advancement to senior executive positions.
However, they are labeled differently. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the average employment status of women in the workplace has increased over the
years. The glass ceiling barriers still exist and an example of this is the recent
allegations against Walmart for discrimination against women.
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Annotated Bibliography
Bell, Myrtle P., Mary E. McLaughlin, and Jennifer M. Sequeira. "Discrimination,
Harassment, and the Glass Ceiling: Women Executives as Change Agents." Journal
of Business Ethics 37.1 (2002): 65-76. ProQuest. Web. 20 July 2015.
This article focuses on discrimination and harassment that women encounter while
trying to achieve managerial or executive positions. It also deals with sexual
harassment and women’s approach in overcoming the glass ceiling. I used GMU
Library, Articles and Database, then subject heading (Business and Finance), then
ABI/INFORM Complete to start my research question. ProQuest offer many
scholarly and peered reviewed articles on the subject heading.
Feyerherm, Ann, and Yvonne H. Vick. "Generation X Women in High Technology:
Overcoming Gender and Generational Challenges to Succeed in the Corporate
Environment." Career Development International 10.3 (2005): 21627. ProQuest. Web. 20 July 2015.
This article offers information on how Generation X women (born between 1965 – 1980)
interacts with their bosses, peers, subordinates, and the corporate echelons using
modern technology. It is a research paper on Generation X women and their
relationship to professional success and personal fulfillment.
Janet, Cooper Jackson. "Women Middle Managers' Perception of the Glass
Ceiling." Women in Management Review 16.1 (2001): 30. ProQuest. Web. 20 July
2015.
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Oakley, Judith G. "Gender-Based Barriers to Senior Management Positions:
Understanding the Scarcity of Female CEOs." Journal of Business Ethics 27.4
(2000): 321-34. ProQuest. Web. 20 July 2015.
Powell, Gary N., and D. A. Butterfield. "Gender, Gender Identity, and Aspirations to Top
Management." Women in Management Review 18.1 (2003): 88-96. ProQuest. Web.
20 July 2015.
Johns, Merida L. “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Structural, Cultural, and Organizational
Barriers Preventing Women from Achieving Senior and Executive
Positions.” Perspectives in Health Information Management / AHIMA, American
Health Information Management Association 10.Winter (2013): 1e. Print.
This article focuses on gender diversity in senior and executive positions. It focuses on
the reasons for the wage gap between men and women in senior leadership
positions and discusses possible remedies. It talks about the Glass Ceiling Act and
the purpose of the commission. It also talks about women and their role in today’s
economy.
Extra Credit – I met with Ms. Christal Ferrance, a BIS Librarian, to discuss the content
and format of my research paper. We met for about an hour and discussed related
topics that supported my research paper. We also discussed in detail, the methods
used when doing a research paper. Overall, the discussion was very rewarding and
fruitful. Ms. Ferrance recommended several additional sources for my research
paper.