The glass ceiling: a perspective of women working in Durban

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the glass ceiling exists in organisations located in Durban. The study specifically concentrated on the barriers to the upward mobility of women, based on constructs such as social roles, personal characteristics and situational barriers. The study was intended to provide guidelines to South African organisations on how to facilitate the growth of women in senior management. Design/methodology/approach -This study comprises a literature review which outlines the various theories related to the glass ceiling and is supported by an empirical study which tested some of the concepts that emerged from the literature. A survey was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to a group of women who met the respondent specifications. In order to obtain a larger sample, snowball sampling was used. Findings -It is evident that certain elements of the glass ceiling existed. Situational factors emerged as clear barriers to the progress of women which included gender discrimination, lack of respect from male colleagues and insensitive handling of the multiple roles played by women. Social roles such as family commitment and relocation also inhibited the growth of the respondents. At a personal level, the respondents were all confident, emotionally suited to progress, competitive and enjoyed the confidence of their subordinates. Research limitations/implications -A larger sample would have ensured more generalisable results to organisations in Durban. Respondents had to evaluate their personal characteristics, which could have been exaggerated; the views of subordinates would present a more balanced view. This study needs to be replicated in other major centres in South Africa, in order to improve the gender equity across the country. Practical implications -The study highlights the fact that unless all barriers are removed, women will not progress to higher levels in organisations. It also provides guidelines to break through the invisible barriers. Social implications -This study will benefit women in the workplace, giving them due recognition, empowerment and prospects for upward mobility. Originality/value -This paper hig...

Assessing the Glass Ceiling Effect for Women in Tourism and Hospitality

“…However, the questions were posed in a manner that has identified barriers without asking a direct question. It is evident that certain elements of the situational/organisational theory of the glass ceiling existed (Kiaye & Singh, 2013).…”

“…With the need to increase diversity in the workforce, a study conducted by Powell and Graves, indicated that the proportion of women holding lower and middle management positions had increased, concomitantly with their greater demand for equality in the work environment. However, the proportion of women reaching top management positions has remained relatively small pointing to the existence of discriminatory barriers to entry to senior management positions which has been termed the "glass ceiling" (Kiaye & Singh, 2013).…”

“…Adapted from Clevenger and Singh (2013); and Kiaye and Singh (2013), the current research considers five barriers women face that prevent them from obtaining upper-level positions. These includes internal business structural barriers, societal barriers, governmental barriers, situational barriers, and personal barriers; which were measured in the research questionnaire through four, six, four, seven and six items respectively.…”

“…How the glass ceiling is managed will determine the success of an equitable workplace. This study will focus on the incidence and management of the glass ceiling in Durban organizations (Tohmé , 2001;Badarin & Alqawasma, 2012;Kiaye & Singh, 2013).…”

Exploring Women’s Multi-Level Career Prospects in Pakistan: Barriers, Interventions, and Outcomes

“…Extant literature (Joshi et al, 2015a,b; Ghouse et al, 2017; Madsen and Scribner, 2017; Van Oosten et al, 2017) signals an up-surging trend in studies related to workforce gender diversity since it is on an increase globally (Ali et al, 2011). Women are entering the workforce in greater numbers (Kiaye and Singh, 2013; Ng and Sears, 2017) and are also represented at top positions in government, business, and education (Adler, 2015). This upsurge is relevant for factors like diversity programs, mentoring for women (Madsen and Scribner, 2017), equity programs (Jain et al, 2010; Kiaye and Singh, 2013), progressive work life balance policies (Adame et al, 2016), and rising education levels (Turcotte, 2011) among others.…”