Men and women are entering the labor force in equal numbers but the majority of top mangement positions still belong to men.
The Glass Ceiling
More women than ever are entering the labor force but the majority of top management positions in almost all countries are primarily held by men. Female managers tend to be concentrated in lower management positions and hold less authority than men. This suggests that something beyond just sex differences in career patterns must be at work to account for the huge difference in the number of men versus women in top management positions. Although women as a whole may place less emphasis on career success than men, there are a considerable amount of women who strive for top management positions and are unable to attain them. In a recent study almost three-fours of women and two-thirds of men believe that an invisible barrier (a glass ceiling) prevents women from attaining top management positions.
What Causes the Glass Ceiling?
The causes of the glass ceiling are varied. Some suggest that the glass ceiling is self-imposed by some women. For example, women may choose to work fewer hours than men in order to spend more time with their families. Women also measure success in the workplace differently than men. Men tend to measure success by high salaries and important job titles whereas women place a higher value on their relationships with colleagues and community service. Others suggest that ingrained stereotypes and socialization cause the glass ceiling. In some organizations, the good old boy network is still pervasive. When deciding who to promote in these organizations, women are often not even considered.
Some companies recognize that employees have a life outside of the office. These family-friendly organizations offer options such as flex-time, onsite child care, employee-assistance programs, and telecommuting options for their employees which allows their workers to have a better chance of balancing their home and work lives. The problem lies in the fact that not all employees want to work in a family-friendly organization. Some employees who do not have family obligations may resent their company offering services that do not apply to them. One of the first steps in determining what employees want in the work place is to determine how people define career success. Women and men tend to use different types of measures when determining what makes a career successful. Men tend to focus on earnings, promotional opportunities and success while women focus on positive interpersonal relationships and feelings (Powell & Graves, 2003). Men and women also differ in their career gaps. Women are more likely to take a leave of absence and work a part-time job than a man. Organizations need to adopt a culture that will allow them to stay competitive but also allows their employees to maintain a balance with their lives outside of the office. Employees should be encouraged to take advantage of work-family programs that are offered in their organization. Unfortunately, women may feel reluctant to take advantage of these programs as they feel it may lessen than chance for success within the company.
Other Issues Facing Women in Business
Extensive travel is another issue that women must face when considering executive jobs within an organization. Women comprise almost half of the business travel to the Asia-Pacific region. Women must still find a way to balance family and work life and deal with doing business in countries that might not be as receptive to women in top positions as the United States. Video and teleconferencing has given companies the ability to offer alternatives to extensive travel but they will not replace face to face meetings for relationship building and contract negotiations. Smaller companies are more likely to adapt to alternative methods as a cost saving measure.
Women have made great strides in knocking on the glass ceiling but have not quite broken through it yet. This is particularly true in high technology companies where women hold less than 10% of executive positions. This is not surprising since women represent almost half of the workforce but comprise less than a third of the technology sector workforce. It is easy to jump to the conclusion that this is due to discriminatory hiring practices when it fact it may be due to a historically low interest among girls in math and science. As women continue to push the corporate boundaries and engage in non-traditional work related activities, companies will be forced to recognize the value in securing a diverse work force. The glass ceiling may not be shattered for some time, but the there are more holes in it than ever before.
Reference:
Powell, G., & Graves, L. (2003). Women and men in management (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication, Inc.
