The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Treated Differently - Report Example

The Glass Ceiling: are women treated differently? Introduction If one takes a close look at the social environment, one can not help noticing that it should be regarded as an important prerequisite for the development of the inner potential of a person. Indeed, if it had not been for the presence of other people, a considerable number of features that are seen as characteristic to our kind would not have evolved. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the society does not always provide the citizens that comprise it equal opportunities for development. Thus, there are might be situations when a part of the population grouped according to a certain aspect is oppressed. No matter how sorrowful it may seen, but throughout the history women experienced different obstacles on the way of their personal development. Even nowadays when the society promotes the spirit of diversity and appreciation, there are phenomena that reinforce this inequality. This paper will prove that the concept of glass ceiling is a negative element of the contemporary corporate life. In the course of it, the definition of glass ceiling will be carefully examined as well as the primary factors that contribute to the emergence of it. The next part of the paper will be devoted to a detailed analysis of different areas that are affected by it, groups the effects into social, economic and ethical ones. The concept of glass ceiling To begin with, it may be particularly important to take into consideration the very term “glass ceiling”. There is no doubt that it may be considered to be an explicit metaphor. Thus, glass ceiling it something that limits one’s development upwards, but this barrier is transparent. That is why it looks like there is no obstacle, but in reality there is. A literal understanding of this term is not so far for the definition that is accepted in the academic field which is “unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements” (“Recommendations of the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission,” 1995). This means that the term fits the situation incredibly well: on the one hand, glass is surely and unseen material; on the other hand, ceiling is an unbreachable barrier. However, the most important thing that the glass ceiling should not be seen as natural situation: it is directed specifically against women and minorities. Of course, there is no doubt that it was not designed to keep the above mentioned categories of people from the top. However, the reality is that women or those who come from a cultural background that is not European or both can hardly make a successful career. Another important point that should be mentioned about the glass ceiling is that it can be primarily found in the corporate environment (Burke, 2013, p. 12). It would not be a mistake to suggest that economic activity is a part of a healthy society. That is why any problems in the former will inevitable result in the difficulties in the latter. The phenomenon of glass ceiling occurs in the area that is proclaimed to be fair and just with regard to both sexes. However, there is no doubt that gender inequality exists and it can hardly be denied. Indeed, the corporate environment might be seen as an environment that is dominated by men. Thus, in the majority of organizations there are more men on every institutional level than women. That is why the phenomenon of glass ceiling falls in line with the peculiarities of this part of social life. However, if one takes a look at it from a different perspective, one can not help noticing that it looks terrible for the women: they understand that at a certain point that reach their maximum development and understand that they will not be able to advance more despite the numerous efforts that it made. In other words, while men might see the corporate ladder is a distance that might take them long to cover, women sense that somewhere along the way, there is an finish line that is significantly closer than the actual finish line. It may be rather advantageous to examine some of the most typical manifestations of glass ceiling. One might suggest that the concept in question negatively affects some of the most significant aspects of a job. To begin with, it deprives a woman of a full range of promotions (Abdela, 1991, p. 15). This means that a female employee might be promoted to a certain level, for example become a supervisor; however, he will never reach a higher level of responsibility, such as being a manager. It is quite obvious that this is not stated explicitly in the contract or on the organizational policies. However, the practices that are carried out in a company might suggest that women are not allowed to occupy chief managerial positions. The next aspect that the concept of glass ceiling has a tremendous affect on is the amount of money that is earned by a woman. There is no doubt that the higher the position that one occupies is, the more money one will be able to earn. Keeping in mind that there is an inexplicit limit to female promotion, one might come to a conclusion that the money that a women will receive in a company can hardly be high; at least it will be lower than some of men will receive. Causes of glass ceiling Speaking of the factors that are responsible for the emergence of the phenomenon in question, one is able to mention quite a few. First of all, as it has been mentioned previously, the connection between the economic area and the social environment is extremely close with the latter often influencing the former. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that the contemporary society is largely structured in a patriarchal way. That is why it is rather logical to assume that the organizational environment will bear similar traits. Indeed, patriarchy at work can be manifested in numerous ways, particularly in giving senior and supervising positions to men (Kepler, 2009, p. 48). All this leads to the understanding that the phenomenon of glass ceiling will emerge inevitably: it would be a normal reaction of the man who are willing to reinforce their dominance and make sure that the power that they enjoy will not be taken away. In other words, glass ceiling is a natural situation which occurs when a group of people seized the control and is not willing to share with the minority, fearing the decrease in their decision making ability. The next cause that should be taken into account is the ongoing phenomenon of objectification of women (Karsten, 2006, p. 48). Indeed, if one takes a look at the contemporary society, one will be able to see that women are often portrayed as beautiful, aesthetically pleasing objects, but not as individuals who should be treated as such. In other words, the contemporary people got used to the idea that the feelings of a woman can be hurt without any negative consequences; that is why the existence of the phenomenon in question does not make people, especially males, concerned. In other words, a female employee is largely seen as an employee whose aspirations or ambitions are not fully taken into account. They make great secretaries or those who great the clients, but there function is not to be effective, it is being pleasant to the eye. Of course such approach towards women is a disgraceful one. Nevertheless, it is able to explain the mechanism of glass ceiling: a situation when women are offered a variety of low end job, but never a high end one. What is more important is that many people adopt the following pattern of thinking: if there is close connection between a woman and an object, the worries and dissatisfaction of the former should not be taken into account, just like people do not care about the worries of a table who may not be put into a proper place. Finally, there is another factor can contributes to the formation of glass ceiling and inability of women to pass it. As it has been noted, the contemporary society promotes the spirit of equality, mutual appreciation and diversity. That is why every organization is obliges to put into practice policies that make sure that none of the employees are treated unfairly. Nevertheless, there may be a tremendous gap between existence of such policies and actual their application (Gregory, 2003, p. 206). What is more important is that they may be absolutely not effective. Of course, it would not be reasonable to oblige a company to have a certain number of sees in the board reserved for women since that might keep some talented men from getting into it. However, this also provides a company with a good excuse why there are no women as chief officers. There is no doubt that one can not cope up with a quota for talented women in organization, but that does not mean that not talented women should be placed higher on a corporate ladder just to make a company appear fair and ethical. Nevertheless, if there is a woman who is capable of making a valuable contribution to the board, but she is denied of this chance, this should be seen as an extremely negative action. As a rule, glass ceiling often functions as such a tool which is almost undetectable, but is quite effective. Ethical effects of glass ceiling Now one should take a close look at various effects that glass ceiling has in different dimensions. To begin with, it may be particularly important to analyze the ethical impact of this phenomenon. By far, the most negative effect that it might have on women is their victimization (Johnson, 1997, p. 114). In other words, every new female employee that joins a company will be seen as a subject to discrimination which will eventually manifest itself in the above mentioned glass ceiling. Indeed, women many not be told from the very beginning that they can hardly reach any high positions in the organization; however, as the time goes buy, they are likely to notice that they missed several promotions. In spite of the fact that the senior management will always have a plausible explanation for this kind of treatment, on the periphery of their minds the women will understand that they are dealing with the glass ceiling which is something that is beyond their power. That is why they will feel helpless. The next ethical effect that the existence of glass ceiling will have should be examined from the position of men. Thus, the evidence shows that this phenomenon primarily affects women, making men not vulnerable to the negative outcomes of it (Bettio, 2008, p. 144). As a result, one of the logical results focuses on unequal distribution of power among the employees, with men being granted more of it. Indeed, the latter will feel that their hard work will eventual allow them to reach the high positions that women can only dream of. In addition to that, their salary may be bigger which makes them more financially independent. So, men will generally feel more comfortable in the workplace which will affect their behavior. They are likely to be more assertive and confident, while women will acknowledge the lack of bright perspectives in front of them. In other words, the moral of the employees will be different. Indeed, men will be motivated to work as they know that they effort will turn out to be effective, while women will be less motivated. Gradually, the performance of the latter will decline and this might be an excuse to not granting a promotion to women. However, what the public fails to realize is that all this was initiated by the obstacle that was originally placed on the path of women. The logical outcome of the above mentioned ethical effect is the distortion of the relationships that exists in the workplace (Wimmer, 2010, p. 416). Indeed, the latter is thought to be reflecting the social environment; that is why there is no wonder that women do not have advantage in either of these platforms. It must be noted that despite the fact that the society promotes equality and mutual respect, it still grants a part of the population more power which gradually results in the shift of balance. This is particularly important since it allows neither the society nor the workplace function properly. However, while it is rather difficult to introduce any changes in the society in general, the workplace is fully under control of the senior management. Therefore, if the people wanted to achieve equality in a particular segment of social life, this could have been done with a combined effort. Contrary to that, the organizations all over the world feature glass ceiling suggesting that the company are not only willing to ensure equality among the employees, but also put obstacles on the way of development of some of them. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that this is likely to contribute to further lack of balance in the workplace and have a negative impact on the harmony among the workers. Economic effects of glass ceiling Having considered the effects that the phenomenon in question has in the field of Ethics and relationships, it may be quite useful to turn to the examination of an economic impact of it. The first and the most obvious one is the emergence of the wage gap between male and female employees (Roth, 2001, p. 63). Of course, this is not as visible when they are paid per hour; however, in big companies the salary might be calculated on different grounds. Nevertheless, one trend in inevitable: women will always receive less than men regardless of experience, formal qualifications or ambitions of the former. What is more important is that this phenomenon can be witnessed in almost every job which means that the spread of the glass ceiling phenomenon is tremendous. In spite of the fact that the society generally moves towards removing it and making the pay of men and women equal, this process is ridiculously slow. As a result, the contemporary women will not see equality in terms of payment and neither would their children. Glass ceiling has generated a negative inertia that will continue even if it is removed instantly. So, one should point out that dealing with this phenomenon will consume not only a considerable amount of efforts, but also a lot of time. The next effect of glass ceiling in terms of economic values that should be discussed in this paper is decrease in the number of female applicants (Harvey, 1999, p. 138). The latter understand that despite having the required qualifications as well as experienced, they may not be able to pursue their career successful as at a certain point that will hit the glass ceiling and will not be able to get through it. That is why some decide that they would not even try. Indeed, at the stage of an interview, the employers evaluate the candidates and men generally receive higher scores than women simply because of their gender. Indeed, the company understands that such employee will not require a maternity leave; the emotional stability of such a person should not be questions as it is not subject to monthly changes. In addition to that, as it has been mentioned before, when a man enters a company, there is a long road ahead of him and not obstacles on it. Contrary to that, when a woman is hired, she is rarely seen as a valuable contribution. In addition to that, the employer known that there is a certain limit to her development, but will never admit it explicitly. With all this in mind, female applicants are less willing to take a job. It is quite obvious that all the above mentioned effect result in the third one: women become more and more economically dependant on men (Rossi, 2001, p. 12). In spite of the fact that the latter in incompatible with the spirit of equality that is promoted in the contemporary society, this state is supported by the phenomenon of glass ceiling. Indeed, women understand that they can hardly become an effective bread winner as their efforts will not be as effective that those made by made. In other words, no matter what kind of qualifications or experience a woman has, she can hardly be for a family what a man can be. In addition to that, keeping in mind the above mentioned peculiarities, it may be much harder for a woman to look for a job rather if compared to a man. That is why the former is left with a rather unpleasant choice: earn moderate funds independently or enjoy a decent living forming a family with a man, acknowledging his leading role. This contributes to the discussion about gender roles as well as understanding that contemporary society tries to reinforce them through such kind of phenomena is glass ceiling. Though it may not be intentional, it surely brings the consequences that are approved by the social environment. Social effects of glass ceiling Finally, it may be quite important to analyze the effects that the phenomenon of glass ceiling has in the dimension of social environment. To begin with, one might argue that it largely contributes to reinforcing male dominance in the workplace as well as in the society in general (Schermerhorn, 2000, p. 268). Indeed, the inevitable outcome of all the actions that are associated with the above mentioned phenomenon result in that males find themselves in a better position that females: they have a way to develop themselves as professionals that is free of obstacles, their careers might be bright and bring a lot of money to them, they can easily become financially independent. Contrary to that women are deprived of all those benefits because of glass ceiling: they can hardly ever work as senior managers or receive a considerable amount of money for their work. That is why the male dominance which was once conditioned by the peculiarities of culture is now reinforced by economic factors. There is no doubt that the phenomenon of glass ceiling will not go away in the foreseeable future. That is why the male dominated society will exist and share organizational life accordingly. What is more important is that this inertia of development can hardly be overridden by a single generation. What is more important is that glass ceiling changes the patters of activity of women in the social environment. As it has already been noted, women become more economically dependent and less self confident about their future. The majority understands that they will encounter glass ceiling in the further stages of their career and are not willing to start one, knowing that it can hardly be successful. In other words, those women who join the labor force acknowledge that they will not be able to express their full potential at work because of glass ceiling. This might shape their future social life in two distinctly different ways. On the one hand, women might accept their inferior state at work and agree to create a family with a man so that their combined economic stability would satisfy them both. On the other hand, it has been wound out that the phenomenon of glass ceiling encourages many women to take up politics so that they will be able to influence it from a different perspective (Palmer, 2006, p. 59). In spite of the fact that glass ceiling also exists in this area of social life, many are inspired by the powerful power of the contemporary political world and are willing to follow their path by introducing changes into the current state of affairs. Finally, if one considers the distant outcomes of the phenomenon of glass ceiling, one can hardly argue that it make the corporate environment more aggressive (Donaldson, 2009, p. 275). Indeed, if women are literally not allow to become senior managers in the majority of cases, then there is no other alternative, but men taking all the vacant places in the board. This means that the competition that exists in the market will be amplified by the innate aggression that men possess. Of course, it does not mean that men are more prone to conflicts; however, their approach to resolution of issues is much different from the one that women utilize. As a result, the corporate world becomes another male dominated platform that where actors are able to compete in conditions that are suitable for them. All this leads to the understanding that having a glass ceiling in an organization have a negative impact on the future of it as women, especially when adopting a role of a senior manager would contribute their perspective to solving the problems. This means that many of the problems of the corporate could have been solved easily if women were engaged in negotiations. However, the participation of the latter is restricted because of glass ceiling which results negative consequences. That is why this phenomenon should be taken care of. Conclusion Having examined all the points which were brought up in the paragraphs above, one is able to come up with the following conclusion: glass ceiling is an negative phenomenon that is witnessed in the corporate world and manifests itself in various obstacles that are places on the career path of women and inability of them to reach the top of corporate ladder. There are several causes that contribute to formation of such situation. To begin with, it is the patriarchic organization of the working environment which promotes the spirit of male dominance and provides male employees with different benefits. Secondly, it is objectification of women which is largely responsible for making the emotional side of this phenomenon less explicit. Finally, it is lack of enforcement of the necessary policies that ensure that employees of both sexes are treated equally. The phenomenon of glass ceiling has different effects which can be observed in various dimensions, such as ethical, economic as well as social. What is more important is that the combined impact of all the above mentioned effects is extremely negative. That is why it is crucial for the environment to get rid of it so that citizens of both sexes could express their potential to their fullest and become a valuable contribution to the company. References Abdela, L. (1991). Breaking through the glass ceilings: A practical guide to equality at work for women and men. Solihull: Metropolitan Authorities Recruitment Agency. Bettio, F. (2008). Frontiers in the economics of gender. London: Routledge. Burke, R., & Mattis, M. (2013). Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: International Challenges and Opportunities. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media. Donaldson, G. (2009). The making of modern America: The nation from 1945 to the present. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Gregory, R. 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