This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties. One way in which this may occur is via the effect of a stereotype threat. The glass ceiling keeps people from getting certain jobs, despite being well qualified and deserving. Future research may therefore wish to examine the effect that stereotypes have on a woman’s career progression. and Blascovich, J. 65-78. 37-47. Population Studies: A Journal of Demography, 47, pp. There are, however, examples of women who have reached the top, thereby showing that it is possible for the glass ceiling to be breached, if in fact such a barrier does exist. No one policy will be able to crack the glass ceiling, she says. But when they are told that gender does not influence test performance, they perform just as well or even better than the men (Spencer, Steele and Quinn 1998, p.4). The glass ceiling, that invisible barrier to advancement that women face at the top levels of the workplace, remains as intractable as ever and is a drag on the economy. Stereotypes, however, are only part of the problem if a woman also wishes to have children.

Both male and female managers are twice as likely to hire men over women. An analysis of gender and divisional management styles in a large airline. 325-343. While family-friendly work policies such as longer and paid maternity leaves, paternity leaves, optional part-time or shorter work hours, and the opportunity to work remotely, help address women's need for greater flexibility, they fail to address the earnings gap, says Bertrand. Sex Roles, 23, pp. 53-76.
4-28. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, pp. Vries, J.D. Porter, N., Geis, F.L. 657-674. Later, when trying to secure a loan to set up her own business (Pall-Ex), Devey was told by her bank manager that “You’re a woman trying to do business in a man’s world and a single parent. "One of the biggest unknowns when trying to predict how the glass ceiling will evolve in the future is the role of technology," says Bertrand. (2012) “There’s no such thing as a glass ceiling”: Dragon’s Den star hits out at myth of rising to the top [Online] The Daily Mail. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, pp. As a result, if a woman wishes to overcome the glass ceiling effect, she may also need to dissociate herself from her gender stereotype (Alexander and Andersen 1993, p.527). Morgan, R.D. Wajcman, J. In: Ely, R.J., Foldy, E.G. 305-326. Arulampalam, W., Booth, A.L. One explanation which may account for these perceptions could be due to the socialisation of gender roles via media influences (Adler, Kless and Adler 1992, p.169). If a stereotype threat is found, one may be able to increase the balance of men and women in senior positions by educating women about the challenges they are likely to face, and also by showing them examples of women who have succeeded in business (i.e., positive exemplars).

Meltzoff, A.N. The idea of “heroic leadership” (i.e., a stereotypical alpha male leader) may therefore no longer be as relevant to successful leadership as it may have once been in the past (Fletcher 2002).

and Simon, M.C. 527-545. Gender & Society, 4, pp.

Whereas in the domestic sphere, work is generally regarded as being unskilled, not dependent on training, and feminine in nature (Fletcher 2002, p.204). Women, however, are often perceived as having traits which are not conducive to leadership (e.g., submissiveness, passivity, dependence) (Porter, Geis and Jennings 1983, p.1035). (1990) Beyond separate spheres: Feminism and family research. This is because, in our modern day society, leadership in a business environment relies more upon one’s ability to interact and network with others (i.e., emotional intelligence), than it does upon one’s ability to physically dominate others with brute force (Barling, Slater and Kelloway 2000, p.157).
If, however, the glass ceiling is defined as an invisible barrier that impedes promotion, then by that definition, it does exist, as women face many challenges and difficulties in the workplace simply as a result of being born one sex and not another. Since women were paid less than men (Nicholas and Oxley 2008, p.723), and now worked fewer hours, the opportunity cost of not undergoing paid work led many women to take on the role of homemaker and carer, while the male took on the role of “bread winner” by supporting his family financially (Rose 1988, p.53). (2000) Gender-based barriers to senior management positions: Understanding the scarcity of female CEOs. (1988) The theory of reasoned action: A meta-analysis of past research with recommendations for modifications and future research. As unless an organisation supports a woman’s maternal leave in a way that does not harm her future career prospects (i.e., entitlement to benefits or opportunity for promotion), then women will always be disadvantaged in the workplace and the glass ceiling will always remain. If one wishes to understand why the glass ceiling exists, or if in fact it does exist, it is therefore necessary to examine the effect of such beliefs, because according to the theory of reasoned action (Sheppard, Hartwick and Warshaw 1988, p.325), these beliefs will then influence how an individual thinks and how they behave. (1999) Managing Like a Man: Women and Men in Corporate Management.

299-312. If they act feminine, women tend to be liked but not respected (Rudman 2001, p.743) and are perceived as lacking the qualities required by a leader (Heilman, Block, Martell and Simon 1989, p.935). Is the concept of "wave function collapse" obsolete? Some have suggested that this may be due to the presence of a “glass ceiling” which prevents women from progressing past a certain point in their career (Baxter and Wright 2000, p.275). The significance of this is that by conforming to the stereotype of a leader being male, and not female, women may consciously or unconsciously be sabotaging their chances of career success by creating their own glass ceiling. (2012) Gender “pay gap” narrows, figures show [Online] The Telegraph. Oakley, J.G. and Quinn, D.M. A stereotype threat occurs when the belief in a given stereotype causes an individual to conform to the behaviours associated with that stereotype (Schmader 2002, p.194). Although invisible, the glass ceiling is very real, and there are plenty of statistics to back the metaphor we just discussed. and Ryan, A.M. (2008) Does stereotype threat affect test performance of minorities and women? Depending on location, household income, educational attainment, ethnicity and location. Devey has publicly stated that the idea of a glass ceiling is a “myth” and is an “excuse” used by women by justify their own failing in the business world (Glennie 2012). It’s a phenomenon that affects career trajectory, status, and lifetime earning potential… Implicit within this association are norms or standards of behaviour which govern what is, and is not, gender-appropriate behaviour. and Aronson, J. Fletcher, J.K. (2002) The greatly exaggerated demise of heroic leadership: Gender, power, and the myth of the female advantage. This shows that, for both genders, gender-role stereotypes can make it more difficult to reach the top, but as shown by Devey, by no means make it impossible for one to do so. Social History, 11, pp. Sheppard, B.H., Hartwick, J. and Warshaw, P.R. 157-161. To obtain the money she needed, Devey had to sell her home, downgrade her car, and at times, she “could barely afford to eat” (Lunn 2012). Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S.A. (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. The progression of women who hold a belief that a glass ceiling exists, for example, could be compared to the career progression of women who do not believe that a glass ceiling exists. 866-884. Vroom, V.H. 194-201. The Pall-Ex founder can certainly drive a freight revolution [Online] The Guardian. Lunn, E. (2012) From the backstreets of Bolton to the Dragons’ Den: How Hilary Devey made her fortune [Online] Yahoo! Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. 204-209. Thank you for taking your time to send in your valued opinion to Science X editors. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 17, pp. There will always be sexism.” (Ratchet 2012). 51-61. Your opinions are important to us. Much of the existing research concludes that women are more risk-averse than men are. "Talent is left on the table when women are not placed in leadership positions, and the economy suffers.". This document is subject to copyright. Heilman, M.E., Block, C.J., Martell, R.F. Examining the historical background of men and women at work provides a context within which modern day perceptions and attitudes towards each gender can be better understood. The Journal of Economic History, 54, pp. (2001) Description and prescription: How gender stereotypes prevent women’s accent up the organizational ladder. Without such access, they then lack the tacit knowledge that their male peers gain, and thus receive less advice, contacts, and support, which could have otherwise helped them to progress in their career (Rhode 2003). Hilary Devey provides a good example of how a woman can succeed in business despite being in a male-dominated industry. For example, Devey was exposed to sexist comments such as “Can you drive a truck, love?” (Moya 2010) whilst working in the male-dominated distribution industry. (1977) Imitation of facial and manual gestures by human neonates. or, by Sandra M. Jones, University of Chicago. Available from: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/how-hilary-devey-made-her-fortune.html [Accessed 6 December 2012].

1-39. It is important to note, however, that there is no universal management style that is effective for either gender, as situational factors, rather than an individual’s characteristics, are what largely determine how effectively a leader is able to lead (Rutherford 2001, p.326). (1977) Factory regulation: A Reinterpretation of early English experience. 575-582. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. And if they act masculine, women tend to be perceived as being aggressive, hostile, and violating gender norms (Heilman and Okimoto, p.81). I’m afraid that I’m not going to give you a loan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, pp.

Journal of Law and Economics, 20, pp.

Finance. and Okimoto, T.G. Hart, R. (2009) Did British women achieve long-term economic benefits from working in essential WWII industries?. 743-762. Despite entering the same professional and managerial ranks as males, women are typically underrepresented at top positions within large organisations as 95-97% of senior management positions are occupied by males (Oakley 2000, p.321). During the industrial revolution, however, factories and mills created a division of labour between work outside the home that was paid, and work inside the home that was unpaid (Vries 1994, p. 249). Sociology of Health & Illness, 24, pp. and Jennings, J. What we learn from women such as Hilary Devey is that even though, generally speaking, women may physically be the weaker sex, in a business environment, it is mental rather than physical toughness which determines how successful one becomes. Garcia-Retamero, R. and Lopez-Zafra, E. (2006) Prejudice against women in male-congenial environments: Perceptions of gender role congruity in leadership. Journal of Social Issues, 57, pp. would have even considered her for the role of chief executive? Women, for example, face deeply entrenched social stere… Your feedback will go directly to Science X editors.