Glass ceiling among female prosthetists & orthotists: Perceptions, opportunities and strategies for moving forward

PurposeThis paper explores the experiences of women in Saudi Arabia who have been managed by other women, and examines how junior women perceive senior women's role in advancing their career.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on qualitative data gathered using in-depth semi-structured interviews undertaken with 30 women working in Saudi public organisations.FindingsThis study's findings shows that the hierarchical relationships between women and their woman manager are complex due to a multifaceted web of contextual factors including sociocultural values, family values, religious beliefs and organisational cultures and structures. These factors shape the quality of relationships between senior women and their women subordinates. Also, this study reveals that there is solidarity and ‘sisterly’ relationship between women in the workplace that plays a role in facilitating women's career development and advancement. In addition, this study shows that despite senior women's having supported other women's career advancement, this support tended to be conditional and limited. This can have an influence on women-to-women work relationships, where such relationships can be described as being disconnected and fragile. Furthermore, the study depict that there is evidence of the existence of ‘Queen Bee’-like senior women who distance themselves from other women and block their career advancement. The Queen Bee phenomena can actually become a form of hierarchy that mimics the patriarchal structure and excludes women from serving at top management levels.Originality/valueThis paper provides an in-depth understanding of the hierarchical relationships between women in the workplace and how these relationships have an influence on women's career advancement. Therefore, the paper makes a valuable contribution to the scarce knowledge that currently exists within the field of management research in relation to women's career development – and the advancement of such research within the Arab Middle Eastern context. Also, the findings of this study could potentially inform practitioners and HR department personnel within organisations about the connections between women's hierarchical workplace relationships and women's career development and advancement.

Over the last few decades, the Indian higher education sector is witnessing a significant rise in the number of women in faculty positions. However, their career progression in the academic hierarchy appears to be slow. They tend to remain concentrated toward entry-level positions. The present study aims to identify the perceived 'Glass Ceiling' barriers hindering the career advancement of women faculty members at higher education institutions (HEIs). Secondly, this study attempts to find the impact of perceived 'Glass Ceiling' barriers on the career advancement of women faculty members at HEIs. Using a purposive sampling method, responses from 252 women faculty members designated as assistant professors, associate professors, and professors at HEIs of Jaipur City (Rajasthan, India) were collected through a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis has been applied to identify the 'Glass Ceiling' barriers, followed by a structural equation model using AMOS to study the impact of the barriers on career advancement. The findings of the study exhibit barriers recognized as gender stereotypes, attitudinal aversions, family and organizational factors which create a 'glass ceiling' effect for women and restrict them to rise in their career progression. The identification of multiple barriers offers a substantial contribution to the policymakers of Indian HEIs.

Background: Glass ceiling factors, such as organizational, social, and psychological barriers, continue to hinder women's career advancement, particularly in managerial roles. Despite increasing efforts to promote gender equality in the workplace, these factors still limit opportunities for women’s development, especially in traditionally male-dominated industries like banking in Nepal. This study investigates how these factors influence women’s perceptions of career development and whether they significantly impact their progress. Methods: The research employed a quantitative approach using a structured questionnaire distributed to 51 respondents in the banking sector. The survey measured perceptions of organizational, social, and psychological factors impacting women’s career development. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the impact of these factors on personal factors related to career growth. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were also performed. Results: The findings indicate that social factors significantly influence personal factors (B = 0.257, p = 0.035), suggesting that social barriers are key determinants of women's career development. Organizational and psychological factors, while positively related to personal factors, did not show statistically significant effects (OFFF: B = 0.159, p = 0.164; PSFFF: B = 0.144, p = 0.275). The model explained 29.5% of the variance in personal factors, highlighting that additional unexamined factors may influence women’s career perceptions. Conclusion: Social factors have a significant impact on women's perceptions of career barriers, underscoring the need to address societal norms and biases that prevent women from advancing. Organizational and psychological factors, although relevant, were not statistically significant in this context. The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of the glass ceiling, particularly within Nepal’s banking sector, and provides insights for policy and organizational change. Novelty: This study offers a unique perspective on the glass ceiling in the Nepalese banking sector, providing empirical evidence of how social factors predominantly influence women's career progression. The findings suggest targeted interventions to address these barriers and promote more equitable career advancement opportunities for women in managerial roles.

Part I: A Status Report: Past, Present and Future 1. Advancing Women's Careers: Small Wins but Unfinished Business 2. High-Achieving Women: Progress and Prospects 3. Women's Advancement in Management: What is Known and Future Areas to Address 4. Reforming the 'Glass Ceiling' Debate Part II: Work, Career and Life Experience 5. Perceptions of Gender, Leadership and Career Development 6. Mentoring and Identity Development: The Role of Self-Determination 7. Women at Midlife: Changes, Challenges, and Career Obstacles Part III: Ongoing Challenges 8. On the Ethics of Office Romance: Developing a Moral Compass for the Workplace 9. Work-life Challenges Professional Women Face in Pursuing Careers 10. Work-life Balance Practices in Health Care Organizations - A 2003 Status Report Part IV: Best Practices for Advancing Women 11. Best Practices for Supporting Women Engineer's Career Development in U.S. Corporations 12. Best Practices for Women of Color in Corporate America 13. Marketing Diversity in the Corporate Workplace Part V: Company Initiatives for Advancing Women 14. Shell Oil Company US: The 2004 Catalyst Award Winner for Diversity Initiatives 15. Different Yet Equal

"Glass Ceiling and its Effect on Women's Career Advancement in Multinational Corporations: An Exploratory Study "

The idea of a glass ceiling for women in management describes a theoretical barrier that all women who seek advancement to the highest echelons face. Five women above the glass ceiling and five women just below it Q sorted statements from personal interviews pertaining to career development experiences and barriers they might have encountered. Five factors were found, partially supporting propositions that participants would be grouped according to their positions above or below the glass ceiling and demographic characteristics such as age and number of children. Three themes defined factor membership via the Q sorts: perceptions of discrimination and other barriers; desire to become a C.E.O., and having had mentors or role models. In general, the women already above the glass ceiling reported less discrimination, and stronger desire to become a C.E.O., than the women below. Mentors/role models was a weaker differentiating theme. Results suggest there is more than one path to career success. Research should be extended to include comparisons with men who are above and just below the glass ceiling.

Women's career advancement has still been a topic of interest in Sub-Sahara Africa. To meet women's professional development requirements and remain competitive, organisations must pay attention to what makes them thrive. Career development involves a series of stages that occur over time, characterised by diverse concerns, themes, and tasks. There is, therefore, the need to document efforts to develop women managers and professionals and get a better understanding of the factors that positively influence women's progress in organisations. This paper reviewed the socioeconomic factors that influence women's career advancement by analysing existing literature to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the advancement of women’s careers. These factors, including stereotyping, biases, preference for family and work-life balance, male-dominant cultures in firms, the glass ceiling effect, lack of training and development opportunities, and their exclusion from networking, are significant impediments to career advancement claimed by women. Other factors such as organisational and government policies, supportive work environment, top management commitment, organisational support system, mentoring, networking, training and development, and organisational culture contribute to women's career advancement. In addition, interventions such as women-specific counselling sessions are held to address work-life balance. Interventions that would contribute to women-specific career advance theories were also identified. The critical issues that emerge from the review about hurdles to women's career advancement and variables that promote their advancement have been highlighted in this study. It is clear that many women who advance to senior positions acknowledge the obstacles posed by attitudes, and stereotypes and tactics have to be put in place to overcome them.

Promoting Leadership by Women in Gastroenterology—Lessons Learned and Future Directions

PurposeThe paper focusses on the intrapersonal vs environmental barriers to women's career advancement to the top leadership positions in the information and communication technology (ICT) business and envisages the individual, organisational as well as societal practices for overcoming such barriers in the given sector.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on the qualitative research method of expert interviews with top-level women managers in the leading ICT companies in Lithuania. The study allowed identifying and structuring the key barriers to women's careers and three-level practices for overcoming them.FindingsThe research has shown that the key intrapersonal barriers are related to the lack of self-confidence and perceived glass ceiling. The main environmental barriers are male domination and socially gendered professions. The practices for overcoming women's career barriers can be categorised into three levels – individual, organisational and societal. The study has shown that the most important individual practices are the ability to continuously self-educate and self-affirmation. On the organisational level, the following key practices can be applied: mentorship and inclusive company culture. The societal practices for improving women's career advancement in ICT are mainly represented by the visibility of successful leaders as role models and initiatives increasing awareness for an inclusive society.Research limitations/implicationsThe research limitations are largely related to the research sample selected for the qualitative research (interviews). The respondents are already established in the top leadership positions, so may only have a retrospective view on the obstacles to the respondents' careers. A larger sample could provide a more generalisable data, whilst a larger number of interview participants for preselected categories, like company category or tenure in a position, would provide insights on the different stages of career growth and company's influence for the individual's growth. The authors encourage extending research to other sectoral and national contexts.Practical implicationsThe research sets out the key barriers that can be overcome with the help of individual, organisational and societal practices. This provides a comprehensive list of practices that can be adopted by the organisations (in the ICT and beyond), as well as the policy makers on the societal level.Social implicationsAddressing the issues of gender balance and women's career advancement in one of the fastest growing industries (ICT) has profound social implications. Qualitative research has shown how the barriers can be overcome at different levels of the social system.Originality/valueThe paper marks one of the first attempts to introduce a three-level approach to addressing the intrapersonal and environmental barriers to the advancement of women's careers with a particular focus on the ICT sectoral context.

How to Promote Career Advancement and Gender Equity for Women in Gastroenterology: A Multifaceted Approach

Systemic manifestations of women's subordination, such as the glass ceiling, are still a reality in organisations. Yet, the glass ceiling effect in the Global South is often conceptualised vis-à-vis (white) women's experience in ‘gendered organisations' and women's domestic role in the Southern societies. In this context, this chapter, based on a fieldwork research conducted in Sri Lanka's apparel industry, critically examines the glass ceiling effect of glass ceiling on women's career advancement in the Global South. Alongside the notion of ‘universal' patriarchy, it problematises the ‘universal' structure of the glass ceiling. And it shows that (un)doing factory women's collective identity—as lamai (little ones)—and the glass ceiling intermingle in the process of women's subordination in the apparel industry. The chapter concludes that, in the apparel industry, the role of managerial women —as well as of men in (un)doing factory women's collective identity—is crucial in keeping the glass ceiling in place.

Women make up half of the world's population, but they continue to face significant barriers to success including the glass ceiling. It refers to the invisible professional hurdles that women confront in the workplace. Women encounter challenges in practically every field of business today, including positive successes such as promotions and awards, which jeopardize their status and role in the workplace. Although the glass ceiling has piqued the interest of researchers, some authors have noted that theoretical models have made little effort to develop an understanding of the phenomenon and its implications. The main objective of the research was to find out the impact of glass barriers on women's career advancement in academia, as well as to analyze the mediating role of work-family conflict the mediating linkage between the glass ceiling and women's career success and perceived organizational support as moderating to reduce the negativity between conflict and women careers. The data was gathered using an adopted questionnaire with a sample size of 325. The included hypothesis under this research is being tested using sampling criteria. According to the results of the study, all hypotheses were accepted. Theoretical and managerial implications were also discussed along with future recommendations and limitations.

Glass ceiling syndrome” is one of the primary hidden barriers that prohibit the progression of talented women professionals from ascending senior executive positions in most formal organizations like schools Cameroon. This barrier faced by women in the said country is an unwritten rule in many business and non-business organizations, despite the fact that the number of women in top-level corporate jobs remain blocked in their career journey. This is a call for concern and thus this work centres on ‘Assessing the Impact of Glass Ceiling on Female Career Progression in the Educational sector of the Mezam and Fako Divisions of Cameroon’. It summarizes barriers that work to keep women in traditional “sticky floors” where they remain stock at those floor levels, unable to make any swift journey to positions of leadership, unless sexually harassed sometimes in order to gain a position of authority. The objectives of the study seek to assess the factors that influence glass ceiling experienced by women employees in the Study Area. Secondly, it examines the direct and indirect effects of glass ceiling syndrome on women career advancement in these sectors of the two Divisions. The methods used for data collection are interviews and questionnaires administered to 530 women in schools and banks of the two regions. The Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for hypothesis testing and as a tool for inferential statistics. This is a fitting model because it analyses several variables simultaneously-even the unobservable, hard-to-measure latent variables like Glass ceiling and female career development. Results indicated that the barriers have a 52% impact on glass ceiling and the Glass ceiling syndrome in turn has a negative effect on female career progression by 62%. It was discovered that out of the 1462 Administrators or Heads of Institutions in the two regions of study, 1063 are men and only 399 are women. Some strategies are proposed to combat the negative effect of glass ceiling on the career progression of these women. They are: consciousness raising, career planning, management training, information sharing, mentoring, networking, and retraining. In order to shrink glass ceiling effect, some women are quitting their jobs and setting up their business, becoming freelancers in order to have more control over their career trajectory.

This study investigates the challenges posed by the glass ceiling and the implementation of meritocracy for female civil servants (in Palu City, aiming to identify strategies for enhancing career progression. Employing a constructivist research paradigm with a qualitative approach, data were gathered through interviews including the Mayor, City Secretary, BKPSDMD Head, and representatives from various departments within the Palu City Government. Analysis was conducted using triangulation techniques aided by NVIVO 14 software. Findings reveal that the glass ceiling manifests as conflicts in work-life balance, limited decision-making authority, and entrenched gender biases, hindering women's career advancements. Nonetheless, it also serves as motivation for female civil servants to assertively engage in career development. Overcoming these obstacles demands exceptional resilience, perseverance, and a composed demeanor in facing challenges. The glass ceiling can stimulate proactive measures toward career success among women. Conversely, a fair and transparent meritocracy system emerges as a viable solution to mitigate the glass ceiling's effects. This entails implementing mentoring, coaching, training, and educational initiatives addressing women-specific workplace challenges such as time management, salary negotiations, and work-life equilibrium.

PurposeThe objectives of this study are: to identify and compare companies' involvement with work‐life balance practices and policies in 14 European countries, and to test whether these practices actually enhance the career advancement of women to senior management positions.Design/methodology/approachA comparative descriptive analysis shows differences in work‐life balance practices and policies and women's participation in the workforce between countries. In order to test whether work‐life balance practices and policies enhance the career advancement of women to senior management positions a multiple regression analysis is performed.FindingsThere are certain differences in the provision of work‐life balance practices and women's participation in the labour force among European companies. A positive influence of work‐life balance policies and practices on women's career advancement into senior management positions was confirmed in only one case – the payment of an additional amount for maternity leave. All other practices were shown to have no significant impact or a significant negative relationship.Originality/valueAn interesting issue is whether work‐life balance practices and policies help remove the glass ceiling. There has been little research on the impact of work‐life balance practices and policies on women's career advancement. This study attempts to redress this dearth by examining the role of work‐life balance practices and policies on women's career advancement.