The Glass Ceiling: An Invisible Barrier to Career Growth

The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that makes it harder for certain groups (especially women and minorities) to reach the top of their careers.

What Is the Glass Ceiling?

The term glass ceiling refers to an invincible barrier that prevents certain groups (women and minority) from reaching senior leadership roles in companies. Kaswan (2014) explains that this phenomenon represents an unfair system where competences individuals struggle to get promoted despite their capabilites. These barriers often emerge due to limited access to training programs, insufficient career development opportunities, and a lack of support through mentoring.

Why Does the Glass Ceiling Exist?

The glass ceiling is driven not only by structural issues but also by organizational culture. As a result, women and minorities often face difficulties finding mentors since they are excluded from informal networks such as the “old boys’ club”—exclusive circles dominated by individuals with similar social and educational backgrounds. In fact, according to McGinn & Milkman (2013), the old boys’ network gives men an advantage, because they are more likely to have supervisors with similar demographics. Consequently, this informal privilege makes promotions more accessible for men, whereas equally qualified women are left behind. Such dynamics highlight how social connections, not just performance, can shape career progression and limit access to growth opportunities.

The Impact on Individuals and Companies

The glass ceiling as a career barrier affects both employees and companies. For individuals, it often reduces motivation, creates frustration, and lowers job satisfaction. For companies, failing to maximize the potential of diverse talent can slow innovation and weaken competitiveness. Catalyst (2020) found that companies with greater gender diversity and inclusion not only perform better financially but are also more adaptive to change.

Strategies to Break the Glass Ceiling

Noe (2010) provides several key recommendations for addressing the glass ceiling, including:

Ensuring senior managers actively support employee development programs.
Raising awareness of gender bias and its workplace impact.
Expanding access to training and mentoring for all employees.
Creating transparent and accountable promotion and assignment systems.
Using surveys, focus groups, and task forces to uncover root causes.
Embedding change into organizational culture rather than treating it as a temporary initiative.

References

Kaswan. (2014). Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia untuk Keunggulan Bersaing Organisasi. Bandung: Graha Ilmu.
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and Development (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Catalyst. (2020). Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter.
McGinn, K. L., & Milkman, K. L. (2013). Looking Up and Looking Out: Career Mobility Effects of Demographic Similarity among Professionals. Organization Science, 24(4), 1041–1060.