The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Treated Differently than Men?

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Unfortunately, even today, women are still trying to prove themselves equal to men in many ways. The “glass ceiling” is perhaps one of the most familiar and evocative metaphors to surface from the 20th century. This expression has been used widely in the popular media as well as in official government reports. The image suggest that although it may be the case now that women are able to get through the front door professional hierarchies, at some point they hit an invisible barrier that blocks any further upward movement. “Below this barrier, women are able to get promoted; beyond this barrier, they are not”. Such a situation can be considered a limiting case for a more general phenomenon: situations in which the disadvantages women face relative to men strengthen as they move up executive hierarches. “Traditional approaches to recruitment, organization and job design, performance management and promotions are often designed in ways that are more suited to men than to women. This is what creates the glass ceiling”. Beyond the limit of job titles, the glass ceiling also creates a pay difference between men and women performing the same work requirements.

“The history of the Glass Ceiling Commission dates back to 1986 when Wall Street Journal reported a pattern of highly accomplished women being passed over for upper-level promotions due to an invisible barrier”. The term “glass-ceiling” first entered America’s public conversation almost two decades ago, when the Corporate Woman column from The Wall Street Journal identified this new phenomenon. “There seem to be an invisible –but impenetrable- barrier between women and the executive suite, preventing them from reaching the highest levels of the business world regardless of th...

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Keyser, John. "A Glass Ceiling Still Exists, and That Hurts Corporate America." InPower Women. N.p., 28 Nov. 2012. Web. 04 May 2014.

Lockwood, Nancy. "The Glass Ceiling: Domestic and International Perspectives." Www.shrm.org. N.p., 2004. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

Santinon, Joanna. "The Debate: Why the Glass Ceiling Is Bad for Business." Business Reporter. N.p., 26 June 2013. Web. 04 May 2014.

Williams, Rah B. "Why Hasn't The Glass Ceiling Been Broken?" Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., 15 May 2010. Web. 04 May 2014.

"Women in the Workplace: The Glass Ceiling." Women in the Workplace: The Glass Ceiling. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.

"Women." The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

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