Free Essays on Glass Ceiling

One of the hardest and most frustrating issues being faced by groups or certain individuals in the corporate world today is the vast difference in gender treatment. This is commonly known as the â€Å"glass ceiling†, which is defined by Buzzanell as the â€Å"focus on women’s historic under representation in powerful organizational positions and the culmination point at which time women recognize the discriminatory practices, gender stereotypes, and individual biases that have hindered their advancement . The glass ceiling functions as a barrier to women (and minorities) as a group rather than to individual women. There appears to be no industry type without glass ceilings, no other similar form of structural plateauing, and no comparable barrier for white males. This blockage occurs in governmental, scientific, business, and educational organizations.† There are steps being made to try to change corporate cultures so that both males and females have equal opportunities, but as we learned, changes such as this take time, and in this case it is said that it could take up to a hundred years before women are receiving the same pay per dollar as men, given the same opportunities as men, and are looked at as being equal in ability to get the job done. Cultures develop over time and are historical, which we talked about in class. They are based on what has happened in the past and on the upbringing of those that shape the culture. If you see things in old ways, it’s difficult to act in new ways. This is what seems to be happening in the corporate world, because women are having such a hard time breaking into the male dominated culture of corporations that has been implemented all through history up until recently. It is encouraging to see that there is progress being made, but it is at somewhat of a slower rate than women hope for. In a study done by the PRWeek Magazine, a salary survey in March of 2000 said that women â€Å"wer... Free Essays on Glass Ceiling Free Essays on Glass Ceiling Business Week: Mexico: Strides and Setbacks for Woman The article begins by discussing some statistics in Mexico. Mexico is the world’s 13th largest economy and is ranked 48th in terms of gender development This is way below the average of highly industrialized countries. 25 years ago, only one of five Mexican women worked outside the home, compared to one of three today. The article discusses how today a woman governs Mexico City and another presides over the country’s strongest leftist opposition force, while the Senate is presided over by a woman, and two of the members of the cabinet of ministers are women. Women hold 17 percent of seats in the lower house of Congress and 15 percent of seats in the Senate. 14 percent of businesses are In 1994 Mexico linked up with Canada and the United States in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Since then, there have been many protests from sectors complaining trade between countries with such enormous differences has hurt them. According to the article women have been hit the hardest. NAFTA had opened up job opportunity but for low skilled jobs with poor conditions. The new market conditions have led women textile workers to be replaced by men and this has pushed many women into the â€Å"informal economy, where they have no social security or benefits.† (UNIFEM) When it comes to working at the same jobs as men women make 40 percent less than men. This article intrigued an interesting comparison of Mexico’s strive for women to move up in the work force and The United States current glass ceiling. The glass ceiling is the invisible barrier that women have to move up the corporate latter. The glass ceiling theory first drew serious attention in 1991, when the glass ceiling commission was established as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. A study released that year by then Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin found that a glass ceiling does indeed exist, limiting the op... Free Essays on Glass Ceiling One of the hardest and most frustrating issues being faced by groups or certain individuals in the corporate world today is the vast difference in gender treatment. This is commonly known as the â€Å"glass ceiling†, which is defined by Buzzanell as the â€Å"focus on women’s historic under representation in powerful organizational positions and the culmination point at which time women recognize the discriminatory practices, gender stereotypes, and individual biases that have hindered their advancement . The glass ceiling functions as a barrier to women (and minorities) as a group rather than to individual women. There appears to be no industry type without glass ceilings, no other similar form of structural plateauing, and no comparable barrier for white males. This blockage occurs in governmental, scientific, business, and educational organizations.† There are steps being made to try to change corporate cultures so that both males and females have equal opportunities, but as we learned, changes such as this take time, and in this case it is said that it could take up to a hundred years before women are receiving the same pay per dollar as men, given the same opportunities as men, and are looked at as being equal in ability to get the job done. Cultures develop over time and are historical, which we talked about in class. They are based on what has happened in the past and on the upbringing of those that shape the culture. If you see things in old ways, it’s difficult to act in new ways. This is what seems to be happening in the corporate world, because women are having such a hard time breaking into the male dominated culture of corporations that has been implemented all through history up until recently. It is encouraging to see that there is progress being made, but it is at somewhat of a slower rate than women hope for. In a study done by the PRWeek Magazine, a salary survey in March of 2000 said that women â€Å"wer...