Metrics of the glass ceiling at the intersection of race and gender

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the composition of the executive pipeline in the San Francisco Bay Area technology sector and measure the effects of race and gender in management and executive representation. The authors’ report spotlights the evolving challenges for Asians, Blacks, Hispanics and minority women in climbing the professional ladder to success in San Francisco Bay Area technology companies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze the aggregate EEOC tech workforce 2007-2015 data and find scant progress in improving upward management mobility for minority men and women.FindingsRace was a more significant factor than gender as an impediment to climbing the management ladder. Asians were the most likely to be hired but least likely to be promoted. Blacks and the Hispanics had declined in their representation of the professional workforce.Originality/valueUsing historical data sets from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the authors introduce a new metric, the Executive Parity Index™, to measure the effects of gender and race on executive representation in the San Francisco Bay Area workforce in technology sectors. By analyzing the intersection of race, gender in the leadership pipeline, the authors are able to uncover new and surprising insights about the glass ceiling for racial minority groups from 2007-2015.