Do you believe in the glass ceiling?

Question

It is now 8 years in to the new century and men still dominate boardrooms and management positions in all areas of work. Do you think women generally have to work harder to be equal?

Answer 1

Yes, unfortunately, we do.  The deck is stacked against us.

Answer 2

No, I tend not to believe in things that do not exist.

Answer 3

No, actually, I don't believe in the glass ceiling.  Its a lovely excuse for women complaining that there aren't enough women in positions of power in the corporate world - but its all just an excuse.  Easier to blame a hypothetical than to accept the fact that there are more qualified men for senior positions than women.  There's no conspiracy - otherwise, you would see NO women in executive leadership positions.

You know - if more time was spent on networking, skills building and working hard - and less time spent on complaining and excuse making - we'd see ALOT more women in the senior positions!

If you approach a job as a human, rather than as a man or a woman - you get much further.

Answer 4

Working harder at my work place doesn't make any difference. Women are still treated like c**p.

I think we need a revolution and to all agree to go to strike or do to tribunals at the same time. If all the women employees didn't work for a week everywhere would be a dirty c**p hole and the men wouldn't know where they were supposed to be or what they were supposed to be doing. The country would be in a state of confusion.

Answer 5

Mike T, Eoghan, and Super said it all. If a woman spends as much time networking, building skills, actually working harder/smarter, AND PRIORITIZING, she has equal chances of filling that boardroom chair like any other man does.

hahahahahahahaahaaaaa

There are indeed millions of women who do exactly that and still get paid less and/or passed over for promotion, especially if they are in their childbearing years.

Answer 6

If you believe in a glass ceiling, you will never break through it.

Women and men are only limited by their own will to succeed in whatever they chose.

Answer 7

Yes, of course. Glass ceilings, slippery walls, sticky floors ... oh, and the tooth fairy.

Feminist propagandists sure have some bizarre imagination.

Answer 8

It has improved but yes, we still have an upward battle. Most companies that I worked for did penalise me as "I would go off and get pregnant" (I did twice but came back to work when the children where on average 5 weeks old), then because I was a mum, I would be taking time off for nothing, it did not help that I was doing an expatriate contract - so here even worse. Luckily for me I now work for a very liberal large company that takes my contribution seriously, I know what I want and will get there now.

Answer 9

I believe in the glass ceiling and so do many business women and men world-wide--according to this recent study:

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/07/glass-c...

"About 70% of women and 57% of men believe an invisible barrier--a glass ceiling--prevents women from getting ahead in business, according to a study of 1,200 executives in eight countries, including the U.S., Australia, Austria and the Philippines."

The study lists all the excuses usually given for the glass ceiling but this quote from the article above explains why US women aren't as upset about the glass ceiling as they were formerly: "Susan Solovic, CEO of SBTV, a Web site that creates video programming aimed at small-business owners, offers another reason why women aren't complaining about the pay gap: They've decided to work for themselves. The number of women-owned firms grew 17% between 1997 and 2004, according to the Center for Women's Business Research, while the total number of firms rose only 9%. Says Solovic: 'There is really no glass ceiling when it comes to owning your own business.'"

Answer 10

Mike T, Eoghan, and Super said it all. If a woman spends as much time networking, building skills, actually working harder/smarter, AND PRIORITIZING, she has equal chances of filling that boardroom chair like any other man does. As Eoghan explained, there are as much or MORE obstacles/priorities outside of work that women have to deal with than there are at work, for them to complain about and blame the sexist "glass ceiling" concept. Glass ceilings do exist - for the person who is stagnated, and doesnt want to substantiate his/her contribution/value to the company.

@Super : "If you approach a job as a human, rather than as a man or a woman - you get much further." - Awesome !

Answer 11

Yes...

Its because women have the disadvantage of getting PREGNANT and needing time off for child care and other "female issues".

Because of this, women are perceived as LESS valuable in the work place than their male counterparts. A man can have 25 kids in 5 years and not miss a single day of work. That's hard to beat.

Answer 12

I think the so called class ceiling is self inflicted. A woamn once she has had a child will thankfully always put that child first. I don't need a lecture about how men should do more, having gone through a series of men can't do anything right comments.

Answer 13

Sticky floors, glass ceilings, what's the practical difference?

Answer 14

A man who has 25 children in 5 years and doesn't miss a day of work may be dedicated to his career but he obviously isn't pulling his weight as a parent.  There needs to be a balance.  

And yes, I believe in the glass ceiling.  There are plenty of empirical studies that reveal glass ceiling effects.  Don't get me wrong, it's much better now than it used to be, but there are still many people who will perceive women as less competent just based on gender.

Answer 15

What it works out too at the top is this...

Board members do each other favors and get each other onto boards and top management positions

It's difficult to break through that barrier, male or female,no matter how hard you work...

You have to have something they want, to get in.....

Answer 16

It undeniably exists in certain fields, but overall, women have a better chance of making it in top positions than they ever have. The old boys' club is starting to retire/kick it, so there will be a lot more opportunities in top management in the near future.

Answer 17

There are more women in middle management positions than men. Women have more options than men, and often don't opt to pursue the top positions. Men and women are not the same, and will, therefore, have different aspirations.

Women have more than achieved equality in some arenas of life, particularly the public sector. There are now far more females entering University than males, more entering medical and veterinary schools. Feminists rule in the world of education, and this is disadvantaging boys. The family courts are biased against men. The 's*x laws' are biased against men. There are more female millionaires than male millionaires. Where do I stop?

The so called 'glass ceiling' simply doesn't exist, except in the minds of feminists who are h**l bent on ignoring equality of opportunity and are now pursuing equality of outcomes. ( Harriet Harman)

What has the 'new century' got to do with the price of bread? Men don't dominate any area of the workplace. You make it sound as though they only have these positions to annoy women.

Truth is, that the vast majority of women don't want what feminist females want, no matter how disappointing that must be for the latter.

I certainly don't think women have to work harder, and the majority of them don't make bossing men about a life's ambition.

Answer 18

no i don't, not these days, capitalism is not like that.

listen to this, the explanation is very simple.

if we have a business studies course, the students are half male, half female.

of the male students who go on to work in business, most will do it till the retire.

of the female students, a % will marry and never reach the work force, a % will reach the work force but wish they could be housewifes, a % will try to be housewives and professionals, a % will try to be mothers, housewives and professionals, a % will work untill they get married, a % will work untill they get have kids.....

the fact that men dominate boardrooms is nothing to do with some conspriacy. it is just that women arn't putting themselvs forward as decicated, single minded business people in the same numbers that men are.

its time for women to stop using "the dreaded patriarchy" as an excuse and fact facts.

Answer 19

There have been numerous female CEO's, please name three that did a great job?.