The Glass Ceiling

Does it really exist?

Samantha Schell
Erin Faber
WS 201 – Spring ’03 – 10 AM
 Hitting the “glass ceiling”

Although women have been entering the

labor force in greater numbers than ever
before and have made great strides in
achieving upward mobility into middle
management, only a limited number of top
executives are female.

1. Moore 1997
 The glass ceiling defined:

The Department of Labor defines the glass ceiling as

those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or
organizational bias that prevent qualified minority men
and women of all races from advancing in their
organization into executive level positions. These
barriers may exist in the selection criteria used for hiring
or for advancement and professional development
opportunities.

2. Glass Ceiling Initiative: Are there Cracks In The Ceiling?

Anne Sadovsky, CEO of Anne Sadovsky
& Company, a Dallas-based marketing
consulting and seminar provider states:
“The only way to get through the glass ceiling is
to go out on your own. There are relatively few
women who have become CEO’s, CFO’s, or
CLO’s in major corporations, compared with the
number of us who have not been able to
overcome the obstacles. The guys still run the
major corporations in America today.”
1. Moore 1997
 Profiles for Officials & Managers

80.00%
• 1989, women of all races
70.00%
constitued 23.3% of 60.00%
Federal
officials and managers, 50.00% Contract
minority men and women 40.00% ors 1983
30.00%
constituted 9.9% 20.00%
Federal
Contract
• 1993, women had a 9% 10.00% ors 1993
increase, and minority 0.00%
White Minority
men and women had 10% Males Females
increase
2. Glass Ceiling Initiative: Are There Cracks In The Ceiling?
 Income of US Men & Women

3. “Women’s Rights”
 Women in the US Labor Force

4. “United States (History)”

 Recommendations for private
industries:

• Include diversity in all strategic business plans

• Hold line managers accountable for progress toward
breaking the glass ceiling
• Prepare minorities and women for senior positions
• Adopt high performance workplace practices
• Initiate work/life and family-friendly policies

2. Glass Ceiling Initiative: Are There Cracks In The Ceiling?

 Is there a glass ceiling?

The findings fully support the theory that the glass

ceiling exists, but at differing levels.

2. Glass Ceiling Initiative: Are There Cracks In The Ceiling?

 Works Cited
1. Moore, Dorothy P. Women Entrepreneurs. Sage Publications,
Inc., 1997.

2. United States Department of Labor. Employment Standards

Administration. “Glass Ceiling Initiative: Are There
Cracks In The Ceiling?” Washington: June 1997.

3. Schultheis, Katrin. “Women’s Rights.” CD-Rom. Microsoft

Encarta Encyclopedia 2002.

4. Woloch, Nancy & Johnson, Paul E. “United States (History).”

CD-Rom Microsoft Encart Encyclopedia 2002.