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Yassodia Surujpaul
Professor Thompson
ENG 302 – SN2
30 July 2015
Paper 3 Research Paper – Draft # 2
Women verses Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Glass ceiling is a term commonly used to describe the invincible barrier that
prevents women from getting further promotions or advancement to corporate or
executive positions. Western society portrays males 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.
Demographics have shown that more women are 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 accepts 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. In 1991, Congress enacted the “Glass Ceiling Act”
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establishing the Glass Ceiling Commission. This was to help overcome the invincible
and artificial barriers that block or prevent women from advancing up the corporate
ladder to executive positions.
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 and
women wages in the professional and education environment. Women have to
work harder than men to enjoy the benefits and similar payoff that men enjoy. In
olden days, the assumption was that a man would provide for the family, thus
encouraging 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 (Women in Management Review) employers need to be more proactive
in offering their support to women in their career advancement. Corporate
executives need to be balanced gender roles on each side; otherwise, influential
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positions and culture will favor the dominant gender. The CEO needs to address
stereotypes and preconceptions on women. Structural and organizational
barriers need to be broken down. Female representation on executive
committees and management making decisions need to 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. Usually, the reason women fall
further behind partly is 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. Creating mentoring programs within organizations will help women
increase their confidence and develop critical thinking and risk taking strategies.
They 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.
Conclusion
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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. Research has also shown that rather than face the humiliation or
being labeled non corporate/managerial material by men, women branches into
entrepreneurship where they become successful.
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.
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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.
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.
Janet, Cooper Jackson. "Women Middle Managers' Perception of the Glass
Ceiling." Women in Management Review 16.1 (2001): 30. 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
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the purpose of the commission. It also talks about women and their role in today’s
economy.