07. How to Break a Glass Ceiling Almost Anywhere

 

Humanity is made up of many people, each with their own unique characteristics and personalities. However, this does not imply that we must be split based on our demography and category. However, equality is one of our basic rights, and we should do everything we can to eliminate the impediments. In this world, we must learn to coexist since, after all, we are all people. We all have the right to access various options that might improve our lives indefinitely. However, something unseen continues to squander wonderful potential for the majority of individuals.

 

Glass Ceiling.

Metaphorically," the glass ceiling is the invisible line or barrier that separates one demographic from the other. There is one superior group and another inferior group. So instead of having equal chances of succeeding, the superior group tends to have a higher success rate". (Glass ceiling - Wikipedia, 2021).

"Feminists originally used the term glass ceiling. The glass ceiling applies to all women who have to compromise their salaries and work positions because they are women. They are judged solely based on their gender and not on their abilities and capacities to be productive and to excel at their jobs". (Glass Ceiling Definition: How to break it anywhere? [2023 DEI Resources] | Diversity for Social Impact, 2020)

Although the glass ceiling cannot be seen, it is felt and dealt with by women, people of various races, and people with impairments. It prevents minorities, no matter how respectable and qualified they are, from attaining their full potential in the business sector.

 

Marylin Loden, a managerial consultant at a US telecom company who was taking part in a panel discussion about women's aspirations, coined the phrase in 1978. Marylin argued that it was cultural barriers (the “invisible glass ceiling), not personal ones, that stopped women from advancing in their careers. The glass ceiling can be found in all domains and in all types of organizations, whether public or private. The barriers are thought of as invisible because they are not defined corporate policies but rather norms or implicit biases that are accepted. Barriers may be a result of unconscious bias or prejudice, which overlooks a person’s qualifications or achievements and stops them from being promoted. Breaking the glass ceiling is a difficult task, and doing it means overcoming all the barriers and obstacles that are put in the way. The importance of breaking the glass ceiling lies in that it can help remove barriers for others who are in a similar position". ((PhD), (PhD) and (PhD) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), 2022).

 

Examples of glass ceilings in real life

• First woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. Katharine Graham was the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she took over the Washington Post in 1963.
• Oprah: When she became the first African American woman to host a talk show, she broke a glass ceiling in the media. In 2003, she became the first African American woman to become a billionaire.
• Martha Stewart: Martha Stewart just broke a record by becoming the first self-made female billionaire in the United States, three years before Oprah.
• No US President Who Is a Woman: The fact that there has never been a woman president of the United States is one of the clearest examples of the glass ceiling, even though many women have tried to reach high office and work their way up in the male-dominated world of politics. Hillary Clinton was the closest woman to the office. She said she wanted to break the "highest, hardest glass ceiling."
• Obama is the first black president. Even though 13% of Americans are black, there has only ever been one black president.
• Female Vice Presidents: Just like there haven't been many women presidents, there haven't been many women vice presidents either. Kamala Harris was the first person

Types of Glass Ceilings 

Since a glass ceiling appeals to a diverse group of individuals, let's examine the most popular varieties.

1. Gender Bias Glass Ceiling

As previously mentioned, feminists popularized the phrase "glass ceiling" after gradually realizing that the system has a tendency to base decisions on a person's gender, which results in complete gender bias. 

Women frequently work the same hours as men, yet they are significantly underpaid. Others, on the other hand, are unable to enter a firm because HR favors male candidates over female applicants.

Statistics reveal...

• Managers, regardless of gender, prefer to recruit males over women.
• If the application is performed blindly, the likelihood of women being employed increases by 25% to 46%.
• In a firm with 90% male leadership and population, half of the males feel that 10% female representation is sufficient and fair.
• Men are 30% more likely than women to be promoted to management positions in the workplace.
• Women make up only 23% of the C-suite.
• Women hold barely 10% of leadership positions in the workplace.

(Glass Ceiling Definition: How to break it anywhere? [2023 DEI Resources] | Diversity for Social Impact, 2020)

 

2. Cultural Glass Ceiling

The workplace must be populated with employees from various cultural backgrounds so that there are diverse thoughts and proposals for the company's development. It will be really beneficial if there are people with varied perspectives on how the firm might improve, but what if the entire organization is from the same cultural background?

There is absolutely no cultural variety.

Most firms want to recruit someone with the same cultural background as them since the transition would be less harsh, but is it worth it?

Is it necessary to deny a person a job opportunity just because he or she comes from a different cultural background? No, since it is crucial to provide candidates with equal opportunity regardless of their background.

A person's views and ideals should not be used to determine whether or not he or she is qualified for a job. Personally, I feel that HR should focus on the applicant's qualifications rather than their opinions since it will benefit the organization.

 

3. Racial Glass Ceiling

Racism is prevalent in the corporate sector, and it is critical that it be addressed as quickly as possible. This dismisses people of color's abilities and credentials since they are immediately dismissed based on their skin color and race.

Racial discrimination in the workplace, on the other hand, might be blatant or indirect.

 

The leading causes of the glass ceiling

 Gender Positions The so-called gender roles, in which males are perceived as strong, smart, and capable of completing hard corporate work, are the primary cause of the glass ceiling among women. Women, on the other hand, are viewed as people who are supposed to do housework and care for children. Children are divided and classified into two sorts from birth: male and female. Since they were children, they had to conform to society's expectations of their different genders. Their gender roles will eventually transfer to their interests, both intellectually and personally. Men are perceived to be competitive, confident, powerful, and intelligent, whereas women are perceived to be feminine, gentle, caring, and courteous. In the workplace, women are rarely given the same chances as men. Despite having the same function in the organization, women's pay is typically lower than men's. Isn't that unjust? 

Supremacy of the White Race There is a mistaken idea that whites are the superior race. This is the essence of white supremacy. They consider themselves to be the superior race—the lighter-skinned human race. Racism stems from this concept because people began to look down on other races that were different from theirs. Although racism appears to have subsided since the beginning of time, it is still prevalent and noticeable not only in the workplace but in all aspects of life.

 

How to Break Through the Glass Ceiling as a Human Resource Professional 

The only thing you need to do as a human resources professional is look at candidates beyond their ethnic, gender, and racial backgrounds—look at them based on their qualifications, credentials, personalities, and accomplishments, just as you should.

People must be hired based on their ability to accomplish the job, not on their color, gender, or cultural background. As the one who decides whether an application gets the job or not, it is your ethical obligation to never evaluate a candidate based on their upbringing.

To become a fantastic HR professional...

• Consider the applicant's qualifications.
• Maintain a professional demeanor while communicating with staff and candidates.
• Show interest in them and let them know when they've done something wrong.
• Assist staff in smashing through the glass ceiling.

 

What is Mommy Track?

"A woman is given a chance to give birth to a new person—it truly is a blessing—however, the possibility of mommy tracking affects a woman’s professional career.

Mommy tracking is the process of putting motherhood on top of anything else, including a woman’s job, personal self, and relationships with others. It is an arrangement agreed upon within the office where the woman will be given flexible working hours, giving her more time to prioritize her motherhood." (Glass Ceiling Definition: How to break it anywhere? [2023 DEI Resources] | Diversity for Social Impact, 2020)

 

Conclusion.

 The glass ceiling is a phenomenon that affects the organization of workplaces in modern society and is associated with unjust and stereotypical attitudes about women, ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and sexual minorities, among others.

The glass ceiling has a detrimental impact on individuals and groups of people because it prevents them from progressing in their professional careers.
Glass ceilings create biased barriers since they are not based on objective considerations. People with comparable credentials or work experience will not be promoted on the basis of prejudice and discrimination.

References.

• Glass ceiling - Wikipedia (2021) Glass ceiling - Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling (Accessed: August 22, 2023).
• Glass Ceiling Definition: How to break it anywhere? [2023 DEI Resources] | Diversity for Social Impact (2020) Glass Ceiling Definition: How to break it anywhere? [2023 DEI Resources] | Diversity for Social Impact. Available at: https://diversity.social/glass-ceiling/ (Accessed: August 22, 2023).
• (PhD), R. P., (PhD), C. D. and (PhD) and Peer Reviewed by Chris Drew (PhD), R. P. (2022) 10 Real-Life Glass Ceiling Examples, Helpful Professor. Available at: https://helpfulprofessor.com/glass-ceiling-examples/ (Accessed: August 22, 2023).
• Glass Ceiling its causes and Types (no date) Glass Ceiling its causes and Types | Human Resource Management. Available at: https://pakistanihr.blogspot.com/2012/05/glass-ceiling-its-causes-and-types.html (Accessed: August 23, 2023).
• Metrics of the glass ceiling at the intersection of race and gender | Emerald Insight (2018) Metrics of the glass ceiling at the intersection of race and gender | Emerald Insight. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-03-2018-0023 (Accessed: August 23, 2023).
• Jenkins, J. 2016. White Supremacy. www.britannica.com
• Grigsby, W. 2017. 10 Tips To Help You Become a Successful HR Manager. www.zippia.com
• Khazan, O. 2014. The Mommy-Track Myth. www.theatlantic.com
• Goudreau, J. 2012. A New Obstacle For Professional Women: The Glass Escalator. www.forbes.com