Glass ceiling for women and its impact on women's career progression in the Indian service sector: the moderating role of family structure

Abstract

The aim of the present research paper is to study the effects of glass ceiling for women (GCW) on the career progression of women working in the Indian service sector and the moderating effects of family structure (nuclear and joint) on the relationship of GCW and women's career progression. GCW as a barrier includes three types of barriers, i.e., personal, organisational and societal barriers. A total of 553 women managers from the three industries of the service sector (banking, information technology and hospitality) were surveyed through structured schedules using multi-stage sampling technique. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that GCW in terms of organisational barriers and societal barriers predicted women's career obstacles while family structure partially moderated the relationship of GCW and women's career obstacles with regard to societal barriers only. On the other hand, personal barriers did not significantly affect the career progression of the women managers. The study is limited to the service sector and only one state of India. Further research could cover a wider area by including different sectors and states of India. Practical implications include the need for the organisations to provide equal advancement opportunities to deserving women managers irrespective of their gender.