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The Glass Ceiling: a Perspective of Women Working in Durban

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The Glass Ceiling: a Perspective of Women Working in Durban
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1754-2413.htm

GM 28,1

The glass ceiling: a perspective of women working in Durban
Risper Enid Kiaye
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, and

28

Anesh Maniraj Singh
Graduate School of Business & Leadership, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the glass ceiling exists in organisations located in Durban. The study specifically concentrated on the barriers to the upward mobility of women, based on constructs such as social roles, personal characteristics and situational barriers. The study was intended to provide guidelines to South African organisations on how to facilitate the growth of women in senior management. Design/methodology/approach – This study comprises a literature review which outlines the various theories related to the glass ceiling and is supported by an empirical study which tested some of the concepts that emerged from the literature. A survey was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to a group of women who met the respondent specifications. In order to obtain a larger sample, snowball sampling was used. Findings – It is evident that certain elements of the glass ceiling existed. Situational factors emerged as clear barriers to the progress of women which included gender discrimination, lack of respect from male colleagues and insensitive handling of the multiple roles played by women. Social roles such as family commitment and relocation also inhibited the growth of the respondents. At a personal level, the respondents were all confident, emotionally suited to progress, competitive and enjoyed the confidence of their subordinates. Research limitations/implications – A larger sample would have ensured more generalisable results to organisations in Durban. Respondents had to evaluate their personal characteristics, which could have


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(2010), “The perception of ‘glass ceiling’ in Indian organisations: an exploratory study”, South Asian Journal of Management, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 23-42. Kreitner, R. and Kinicki, A. (2008), Organisational Behaviour, 8th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Mathur-Helm, B. (2006), “Women and the glass ceiling in South African banks: an illusion or reality?”, Women in Management Review, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 311-26. Maume, D.J. Jr (2004), “Is the glass ceiling a unique form of inequality? Evidence from a random-effects model of managerial attainment”, Work and Occupations, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 250-74. Mok Kim Man, M., Skerlavaj, M. and Dimovski, V. (2009), “Is there a “glass ceiling” for mid-level female managers?”, International Journal of Management and Innovation, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 1-13. Mooney, S. and Ryan, I. (2009), “A womans place in hotel management: upstairs or downstairs?”, Gender in Management: An International Journal, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 195-210. Powell, G.N. and Butterfield, D.A. (2003), “Gender, gender identity, and aspirations to top management”, Women In Management Review, Vol. 18 Nos 1/2, pp. 88-96. SA Business Women Beat Global Counterparts (2011), Mail & Guardian Online, available at: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-03-08-sa-business-women-beat-global-counterparts (accessed 26 February 2012). Singh, V. and Terjesen, S. (2008), “Female presence on corporate boards: a multi-country study of environment context”, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 83 No. 1, pp. 55-63. Taylor, L.J. and Waggoner, J. (2008), “Goldratts’ thinking process applied to the problems associated with the glass ceiling effect”, Proceedings of the Allied Academies International Conference on Organisational Culture, Communications and Conflict, Vol. 1. Further reading Blair, D.D. and Stanley, J.R. (1991), “Personal relationships and legislative power: male and female perceptions”, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 495-507, Comparative Legislative Research Center, available at: www.jstor.org/stable/440014 Linehan, M. and Walsh, J.S. (2001), “Key issues in the senior female international career move: a qualitative study in a European context”, British Journal of Management, Vol. 12, pp. 85-95. About the authors Risper Enid Kiaye is a Food Scientist/Technologist and has worked in Food Production as: Quality Assurance Manager – Fruits Division at East African Growers Ltd; and Senior Quality Control Analyst at Laboratory and Allied Ltd She has recently completed her MBA dissertation on the Glass Ceiling. Anesh Maniraj Singh is an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Business & Leadership of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Anesh Maniraj Singh is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: singham@ukzn.ac.za To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: reprints@emeraldinsight.com Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints
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