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Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?

Year 2009, Volume: 11 Issue: 5, 7 - 24, 01.12.2009

Abstract

This paper examines the barriers that hinder women’s progress to senior and board-level positions in organisations. It is based on qualitative data from interviews with individual senior women collected in five countries: Germany, Greece, Sweden, the UK and the USA. After considering the literature on issues such as gender stereotyping, perceptions of female management style, personal style, tokenism, networking, and childcare, the paper examines whether the situation has changed and whether there are any differences between countries. While barriers remain, particularly in areas such as tokenism, difficulties in networking, perceptions of senior women, and overall confidence of women in senior positions, improvements were identified in areas such as organisational culture, women’s ability to gain the right type of experience and issues around combining work and childcare. Some national differences emerged, although, overall, the experiences of the women in the countries studied were similar in terms of the barriers they had encountered and how they had tried to overcome them.

References

  • Adler N J, Izraeli D N (1994), Competitive Frontiers: Women managers in a global economy, Blackwell, Oxford
  • Burke S, Collins K (2001), Gender differen- ces in leadership styles and manage- ment skills, Women in Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 5
  • Cooper Jackson J (2001), Women middle ma- nagers’ perception of the glass ceiling, Women in Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 1
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission (2008), Sex and Power 2008, EHRC, Manchester
  • European PWN Board Women Monitor 2006, Internet posting www.europe- anpwn.net/index.php?article_id=8
  • Hillman A J, Cannella A, Harris I C (2002), Women and racial minorities in the bo- ardroom: how do directors differ? Jour- nal of Management, 28
  • Höpfl H, Matilal S (2007), ‘The lady vanis- hes’: some thoughts on women and lea- dership, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 20, No. 2
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO), Conclusions on breaking through the glass ceiling: Women in Management, December 1997
  • Linehan M, Scullion H, Walsh J S (2001), Bar- riers to women’s participation in inter- national management, European Business Review, Vol. 13, No. 1
  • Litzky B, Greenhaus, J (2007), The relations- hip between gender and aspirations to senior management, Career Develop- ment International, Vol. 12, Issue 7.
  • Marshall J (1995), Working at senior mana- gement and board levels: some of the is- sues for women, Women in Management Review, Vol. 10, Issue 3
  • O’Neil D A, Hopkins M M, Bilimoria D (2007), Women’s Careers at the Start of the 21st Century: Patterns and Parado- xes, Journal of Business Ethics, July 2007
  • Powell G N, Butterfield, A (2003), Gender, gender identity, and aspirations to top management, Women in Management Review, Vol. 18, Issue 1/2.
  • Rosener J B (1990), Ways women lead, Har- vard Business Review, November‐De- cember 1990
  • Sekaran U, Hall D T (1989), Asynchronism in dual-career and family linkages, in Arthur, M.B., Hall, D.T, Lawrence, B.S. (Eds),Handbook of Career Theory, Cambridge University Press, Cam- bridge, pp. 159-80
  • Seth S P, Swanson C L, Harrigan K R (1981), Women directors on corporate boards, Center for Research in Business and So- cial Policy, University of Texas at Dal- las
  • Sheridan A (2001), A view from the top: women on the boards of public compa- nies, Corporate Governance, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 8-15
  • Simpson R (1995), Is management education on the right track for women? Women in Management Review, Vol. 10, No. 6
  • Singh V, Vinnicombe S (2006), The Female FTSE Report 2006. Identifying the New Generation of Women Directors, Inter- national Centre for Women Business
  • Leaders, Cranfield School of Management, UK. www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/ research/centres/cdwbl/downlo- ads/FTSE2006full.pdf
  • Tung R L (2004), Female Expatriates: The Model Global Manager? Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2004
  • Van der Boon M (2003), Women in Interna- tional Management: an international perspective on women’s ways of lea- dership, Women in Management Re- view, Vol. 18, Issue 3, 2003
  • Vinnicombe S, Singh V (2002), Sex role ste- reotyping and requisites of successful top managers, Women in Management Review, Vol. 17, No. 3/4, 2002
  • Vinnicombe S, Singh V (2003), Locks and keys to the boardroom, Women in Ma- nagement Review, Vol. 18, No. 6, 2003
Year 2009, Volume: 11 Issue: 5, 7 - 24, 01.12.2009

Abstract

References

  • Adler N J, Izraeli D N (1994), Competitive Frontiers: Women managers in a global economy, Blackwell, Oxford
  • Burke S, Collins K (2001), Gender differen- ces in leadership styles and manage- ment skills, Women in Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 5
  • Cooper Jackson J (2001), Women middle ma- nagers’ perception of the glass ceiling, Women in Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 1
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission (2008), Sex and Power 2008, EHRC, Manchester
  • European PWN Board Women Monitor 2006, Internet posting www.europe- anpwn.net/index.php?article_id=8
  • Hillman A J, Cannella A, Harris I C (2002), Women and racial minorities in the bo- ardroom: how do directors differ? Jour- nal of Management, 28
  • Höpfl H, Matilal S (2007), ‘The lady vanis- hes’: some thoughts on women and lea- dership, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 20, No. 2
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO), Conclusions on breaking through the glass ceiling: Women in Management, December 1997
  • Linehan M, Scullion H, Walsh J S (2001), Bar- riers to women’s participation in inter- national management, European Business Review, Vol. 13, No. 1
  • Litzky B, Greenhaus, J (2007), The relations- hip between gender and aspirations to senior management, Career Develop- ment International, Vol. 12, Issue 7.
  • Marshall J (1995), Working at senior mana- gement and board levels: some of the is- sues for women, Women in Management Review, Vol. 10, Issue 3
  • O’Neil D A, Hopkins M M, Bilimoria D (2007), Women’s Careers at the Start of the 21st Century: Patterns and Parado- xes, Journal of Business Ethics, July 2007
  • Powell G N, Butterfield, A (2003), Gender, gender identity, and aspirations to top management, Women in Management Review, Vol. 18, Issue 1/2.
  • Rosener J B (1990), Ways women lead, Har- vard Business Review, November‐De- cember 1990
  • Sekaran U, Hall D T (1989), Asynchronism in dual-career and family linkages, in Arthur, M.B., Hall, D.T, Lawrence, B.S. (Eds),Handbook of Career Theory, Cambridge University Press, Cam- bridge, pp. 159-80
  • Seth S P, Swanson C L, Harrigan K R (1981), Women directors on corporate boards, Center for Research in Business and So- cial Policy, University of Texas at Dal- las
  • Sheridan A (2001), A view from the top: women on the boards of public compa- nies, Corporate Governance, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 8-15
  • Simpson R (1995), Is management education on the right track for women? Women in Management Review, Vol. 10, No. 6
  • Singh V, Vinnicombe S (2006), The Female FTSE Report 2006. Identifying the New Generation of Women Directors, Inter- national Centre for Women Business
  • Leaders, Cranfield School of Management, UK. www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/ research/centres/cdwbl/downlo- ads/FTSE2006full.pdf
  • Tung R L (2004), Female Expatriates: The Model Global Manager? Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2004
  • Van der Boon M (2003), Women in Interna- tional Management: an international perspective on women’s ways of lea- dership, Women in Management Re- view, Vol. 18, Issue 3, 2003
  • Vinnicombe S, Singh V (2002), Sex role ste- reotyping and requisites of successful top managers, Women in Management Review, Vol. 17, No. 3/4, 2002
  • Vinnicombe S, Singh V (2003), Locks and keys to the boardroom, Women in Ma- nagement Review, Vol. 18, No. 6, 2003
There are 24 citations in total.

Details

Other ID JA24EA53HN
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Andrea Broughton This is me

Dr Linda Mıller This is me

Publication Date December 1, 2009
Published in Issue Year 2009 Volume: 11 Issue: 5

Cite

APA Broughton, A., & Mıller, D. L. (2009). Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?. ISGUC The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources, 11(5), 7-24.
AMA Broughton A, Mıller DL. Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?. isguc. December 2009;11(5):7-24.
Chicago Broughton, Andrea, and Dr Linda Mıller. “Women in Senior Management: Is the Glass Ceiling Still Intact?”. ISGUC The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources 11, no. 5 (December 2009): 7-24.
EndNote Broughton A, Mıller DL (December 1, 2009) Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?. ISGUC The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources 11 5 7–24.
IEEE A. Broughton and D. L. Mıller, “Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?”, isguc, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 7–24, 2009.
ISNAD Broughton, Andrea - Mıller, Dr Linda. “Women in Senior Management: Is the Glass Ceiling Still Intact?”. ISGUC The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources 11/5 (December 2009), 7-24.
JAMA Broughton A, Mıller DL. Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?. isguc. 2009;11:7–24.
MLA Broughton, Andrea and Dr Linda Mıller. “Women in Senior Management: Is the Glass Ceiling Still Intact?”. ISGUC The Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources, vol. 11, no. 5, 2009, pp. 7-24.
Vancouver Broughton A, Mıller DL. Women in senior management: is the glass ceiling still intact?. isguc. 2009;11(5):7-24.