Managing Human Resources, Eight Edition

You Manage It! 3: Discussion Are Women Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling?

“Glass ceiling” refers to invisible or artificial barriers that prevent women and people of color from advancing above a certain level in an organization. In the United States, women represent 30 percent of all managers but less than 5 percent of executives.

The glass ceiling does not represent a typical form of discrimination that consists of entry barriers to women and minorities within organizations. Rather, it represents a subtle form of discrimination that includes gender stereotypes, lack of opportunities for women to gain job experiences necessary for advancement, and lack of top-management commitment to providing resources to promote initiatives that support an ...