Barriers Contributing to Under-Representation of Women in High-level Decision-making Roles across Selected Countries.

Xiaoxue Xiang; Ingram, Jay; Cangemi, Joseph

The term glass ceiling, coined in 1986, remains representative of the barriers faced by women who aspire to senior management positions. Women at that time were rarely promoted to top-level positions in most government departments, corporations, educational systems, and other organizations. Since that time, various laws have been established with the intention of creating equality in a legal sense; yet, in most countries worldwide, these laws have not translated to gender equality in the work place. In the past, both external and internal factors influencing women's under-representation in leadership positions seldom have been a focus by academic researchers. However, in recent years, the subject has received greater attention, and this article will examine factors still present in barriers women face in the workplace in various countries.

BUSINESSWOMEN; DECISION making; INDUSTRIAL management; GENDER inequality; WORK environment

Organization Development Journal, 2017, Vol 35, Issue 3, p91

0889-6402

Academic Journal