The Myth of the Glass ceiling for Women - Research Paper Example

The Glass Ceiling for Women Does Not Exist It is no easier for a woman to obtain managerial jobs todaythan in the 70's. It is more common and more acceptable as a result of evolution of society but the barrier to high end employment has been and is a myth. Naturally, examples of bias will likely always occur in one form or another, but the suggestion that there has somehow been a concerted, secretive international conspiracy by evil corporations directed against women is ridiculous. Women’s groups and civil rights activists continually ‘raise the alarm’ about the inequalities suffered by working women as compared to their male colleagues. Forty years after women on the whole became more career oriented, they are today as likely as men to assume the head position of businesses, right on schedule. It is only reasonable to expect that there was a gender discrepancy among the top jobs in the beginning years of the historic redefinition of roles that originated in the early 1970’s. The feminist movement acted to end the perception that women’s place was in the home but this perception has been all but eradicated. The ‘glass ceiling’ never existed and certainly does not today. It isn’t ‘easier’ for women just more ordinary. A study which surveyed nearly 900 companies of various sizes found that about half reported that it was at least somewhat likely its next CEO would be of the female gender. This would not have been the case 40 years ago when women, driven by economic necessity, began to enter the workforce in larger numbers. Some have attempted to justify the concept of the glass ceiling for a several reasons. The argument supposes that men, much more so than women, are willing to completely submerse themselves in their work. Men will more readily dedicate their life to overseeing both the short-term and long-run needs of an organization. This viewpoint speculates that women, on the other hand, would be less likely to sacrifice the loss of time spent with family or in the pursuit of leisure activities. It also relies on studies that have found that, on average, women are less likely to accept jobs that require the additional time a longer commute entails than are men. This is largely due to time constraints in balancing career and parental responsibilities. This can impact on women’s pay in that they have a statistically smaller pool of jobs from which to choose. Also, the more women wanting work in the same location near to where they live correlates to lower wages for those fewer jobs However, studies indicate women as well as men are equally likely to abandon ambitious business careers in favor of the less materialistic rewards that are presented by flexibility in their work schedules. This allows the individual to invest more time in raising the family and participate in leisure activities. (McNutt, 2002). Despite all evidence to the contrary, the myth of the glass ceiling persists and has progressed to the point of being widely espoused and accepted as fact, but the facts have changed over the past three decades. According to a nationwide survey, today, women are paid between 95 and 98 percent the rate of their male counterparts. The often cited statistic which alludes to women earning only 75 percent of what men are paid was recently ‘substantiated’ by the Women’s Policy Research in association with the AFL-CIO. The combined study included only woman aged 50 and older, the majority of which were less educated then their male colleagues. When today’s 20 year-olds are in their 50’s, this will not be the case, quite the opposite. As opposed to the ‘disco era,’ now, the majority of associate, bachelor and master degrees are awarded to women. Forty percent of doctorate degrees are accepted by women. This illustrates again how the times have changed but the arguments supporting the existence of glass ceiling have not (McNutt, 2002). Other studies have determined that women, across the board, receive about three-quarters what men earn. Assuming this data is current, which is charitable at best, the number is deceptive because it refers only to the average pay of both genders and does not take into consideration occupation, experience, education or hours worked. Any one or all of which are credible rationalizations to explain this difference in pay. When these significant factors are entered into the equation, the gap in wages all but disappears. When these factors are taken into account, such as in the study compiled the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, “among people ages 27-33 who have never had a child, women’s earnings are actually 98 percent of men’s” (“Equal Pay Day”, 2001). A justification for discrepancies in pay which, if often overlooked or ignored, is the fact that women have a tendency to avoid particular types of jobs such as agricultural, construction and service jobs (plumbers, electricians, etc.). According to the Jobs Rated Almanac, 94 percent of the positions in what they consider the ‘worst 25’ jobs are occupied by men. This explains why men account for 92 percent of all job-related fatalities. Jobs identified as ‘dangerous’ generally pay greater wages which must be factored in to any ‘pay-gap’ equation if it is to be considered credible information. “Men work more hours a week than women do. Men represent 92 percent of work force deaths because they take dangerous, dirty jobs that pay better. Women tend to select jobs that are safer, more pleasant with a lot of human interaction” (Hawkins). Men are also more likely than women to pursue full-time careers that are uninterrupted by breaks in service which puts them on a faster track to the top positions within a company. This intense path to success appeals to men more than women, as men are more willing to accept the consequences of this sacrifice such as time away from family. Success is a relative term that has different meanings for different individuals. Many women choose the family life or to contribute to their particular community instead of climbing the ladder of corporate success. The climb up the corporate ladder usually involves great personal sacrifice including long hours, travel and the willingness to move when the situation warrants. It requires an obsessive dedication to the company which almost always takes precedence over everything else. Most women are unwilling to make such sacrifices. If they decide to have children, their career path is severely interrupted. There are, of course, exceptions to this scenario which have largely been facilitated by the general acceptance of the changing gender roles in society over the past three decades. (Ferris, 2005). This myth concerning the glass ceiling effect, that women are prevented from the upper echelon corporate positions by the ‘ole boy’ network is flawed. All available evidence suggests that no glass ceiling exists. If some disparities are occurring in the workplace concerning women, studies show them to be in the lowest levels of management. The glass ceiling describes the perceived barrier to senior levels of management. Because women did not immediately rise to the same level as men, numerically speaking, in the upper echelons of management in the 1970’s, feminist groups cried foul. However, this was a case of unreasonable expectations that have since been realized. The glass ceiling was a myth then as it is now. This metaphor should be re-examined by those that believe it to be true because is there is a problem of gender discrimination in the workplace; it’s in the lower end of the employment ladder, not the top where their focus is concentrated. This takes the attention away from the actual place of potential concern. It’s an imperfect world; therefore bias, prejudice and discrimination will likely always be present in business as well as in other aspects of society. However, it serves no purpose to invent conspiracy theories concocted with erroneous facts, logic and reasoning and call it the glass ceiling. Works Cited “Equal Pay Day 2001: Economic Choices for Women.” Independent Women's Forum. (April 3, 2001). May 9, 2011 Ferris, Nancy. “Women Atop IT Ladder say Glass Ceiling not Apparent.” Federal Computer Week. (April 14, 2005). May 9, 2011 Hawkins, John. “An Interview With Kate O’Beirne.” Right Wing News. May 9, 2011 McNutt, Lindsay. “The Glass Ceiling: It Can’t be Shattered if it Doesn’t Exist.” I Feminist. (December 17, 2002). May 9, 2011 Read More