Glass Ceiling in Federal Law Enforcement: An Exploratory Analysis of the Factors Contributing to Women’s Career Advancement

Abstract

In recent years, there has been limited focus on representative bureaucracy at the upper levels of government organizations. Scholarship on the glass ceiling has emphasized systematic and sociopsychological barriers as impediments for women to advance into upper level management positions. Despite the importance of continuing to highlight these obstacles, factors contributing to their success have received little attention in public administration. This study provides a descriptive analysis of the factors contributing to women’s career advancement in federal law enforcement. Using survey data collected from 32 senior female federal law enforcement officers working in 16 federal law enforcement agencies, nine themes emerge as factors contributing to their success. The topic of the glass ceiling continues to be relevant in today’s literature for responding to women’s lack of passive or active representation in the upper ranks of nontraditional occupations such as law enforcement.

Women and Public Organization: An Examination of Mentorship and Its Effect on Reporting Workplace Discrimination

“…For example, in Yu’s (2018) exploratory study on the second generation of female leaders in federal law enforcement, 62.5% of the senior women in her study reported having a mentor and specifically identified mentorship as one of several key factors that contributed to their promotion to GS-15 and/or selection to SES. In terms of the importance of mentors, Yu (2018, p. 13) concludes “the significance of mentors and having a sponsor to advocate on [one’s] behalf ‘behind closed doors’ cannot be overemphasized.” In addition, “women, more clearly than men, usually identify a crucial figure in their career development” (Fox & Schumann, 2001, p. 383) because these individuals (i.e., mentors) “raise confidence and belief in their abilities” (White, Cox, & Cooper, 1992, p. 221). Therefore, mentorship is an essential element in women’s upward mobility and psychological support.…”

“…While the figures herald a steady increase of women in senior management positions, women are still underrepresented in these leadership roles. In addition, although there is no readily available data that recognize the proportion of female managers in federal law enforcement, the figures are probably low as women encompass only 15.5% of all federal law enforcement officers to begin with (Reaves, 2012; Yu, 2018). To illustrate, in Yu’s (2015) exploratory study of the challenges women face in federal law enforcement, more than half (59.1%) the women in her study reported a lack of high-ranking female role models at their current agency.…”

“…In addition, mentees would likely mimic their mentors’ actions or advice in reporting wrongful conduct as mentors serve as role models. Thus, to illustrate the actions of female mentors in federal law enforcement, in Yu’s (2018) exploratory study on women senior managers in the grades of GS-15 and SES, 83.3% of the senior women who experienced sexual harassment did not report it. Likewise, 78.6% who experienced sex discrimination also did not report it.…”

“…However, research suggests that there are still many women who experience sex discrimination and sexual harassment who do not file a formal report. This failure to file is especially prevalent in nontraditional occupations such as federal law enforcement where there are fewer than 25% women in the workforce (Yu, 2017, 2018). Despite efforts to encourage all federal employees to report workplace discrimination by making federal agencies more accountable for violations with respect to antidiscrimination and retaliation laws (e.g., Notification and Federal Anti-Discrimination and Retaliation Act [No FEAR Act] of 2002), it appears women continue to struggle with filing a formal report.…”

“…The scholarship on women and mentorship has been explored in many disciplines, with public administration being no exception. A number of studies have focused on mentors as a variable often associated with career advancement (Barratt, Bergman, & Thompson, 2014; Caceres-Rodriguez, 2011; Guy, 1993; Ingraham & Getha-Taylor, 2004; Kelly et al, 1991; Lortie-Lussier & Rinfret, 2005; Mani, 2001; Naff & Thomas, 1994; Yu, 2018) and to a lesser degree other employee outcomes such as job involvement, affective organizational commitment, and turnover intentions (see Craig, Allen, Reid, Riemenschneider, & Armstrong, 2012, for brief review). However, there is little to no research on the impact mentors have with women reporting workplace discrimination, specifically sex-based discrimination including sexual harassment.…”