The Glass Ceiling and Women

Background and Statement of the Problem

Powell and Butterfield (1994, pp. 68-86) investigated the "glass ceiling" phenomenon in relation to the actual promotions of women to top-management positions in American organizations. The major organizational problem to which this investigation was related is the issue of gender equity in human resource management.

The authors reviewed the progress made by women in American organizations during the 1970-1992 period. The literature, as reported in the article indicated that, while women had made significant progress in the context of being promoted to and hired for managerial positions in American organizations, comparatively little headway was made with respect to the promotion of women to top-management positions in American organizations. The literature reviewed in the ar

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ntimidated by the use of overt power by others, or who may not be comfortable in the exertion of overt power by themselves. A study of managerial employees in the health care field found that role responsibilities conflict with organizational responsibilities more often for women than for men (Haas & Rooks, 1986, pp. 212-223). The study found also that non-organizational roles are far more likely to cause organizational conflicts for women than for men. Within the health care sample, women were also far more likely than were men to be proud of their spouse's success. None of the women included in the sample were resentful of their spouse's success, while 23 percent of the men resented their spouse's success. Such resentment leads to increased of anxiety for the women affected. The study found that such problems became particularly acute, when women managers advanced to higher level organizational positions than those held by their spouses. The survey of the health care sample also indicated that women were far more supportive of their spouses with respect to spousal organizational roles than was true of men with respect to their spouses (Haas & Rooks, 1986, pp. 212-223). Women also fared badly in comparison with men in hav
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Approximate Word count = 7278
Approximate Pages = 29 (250 words per page)

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