Rose R G September 15, 2009 Report on Glass Ceiling Effect Employment Problems Faced by Women and Minorities Introduction: The “Glass Ceiling Effect” does not only hurt the victims, but it hurts us all. There are many, many victims of the Glass Ceiling Effect, including women, minorities, the aged, Deaf, blind and handicapped, but there is an answer to this problem. We must all learn that no matter what the differences, we are all created equal in the eyes of God, and should be treated as such.Schermerhorn says in our Management 10e, “The “Glass Ceiling Effect” is a subtle form of discrimination, an invisible barrier or ceiling limiting career advancement of women and minorities. ”1 The “Glass Ceiling” is different than barriers to advancement, like education or experience requirements.
This is a barrier that prevents people who are qualified from moving up in the corporation. These people could be women, ethnic minorities, older people, overweight women, obese men and women, Deaf, blind, handicapped, and many others who are victims of discrimination or the “Glass Ceiling Effect. ”The glass ceiling starts to form as soon as women enter the work force after College; they are faced with discrimination, and belief that they won’t be able to do as good a job as a man. A man and a woman, who both have the same education and training for a job, will have a big difference in their yearly income.
According to a post at paperstore. com on the internet, “In a first year job, a man will make approximately $14,619 compared to a woman who will make only $12,201. That is a pay gap of 17%. There is no reason why there should be any gap in their incomes during the first year of their jobs. 2 Wal-Mart is in the process of being sued by a group of 1. 5 million women, for not paying equal work for equal pay.
It also states that Wal-Mart did not give women the same opportunities for advancement as it did the men. 3 Overweight people are also discriminated against. In 1974 I was in High School, but also going to Vo-Tech at the same time. A man came to the school to hire draftsmen for jobs with the phone company. He told me as soon as I finished High School to come and see him and he would give me a job.
When I graduated, I went to the company and the secretary told me they were not hiring and I told her the boss told me to come and ask for him and he would give me a job. She told me that they only hired professional looking people. I was dressed very appropriately, but I did not look professional to her because I was overweight. She would not even tell the boss I was there. Many times people try to excuse their discrimination, by saying that they are trying to protect that person or search for something that they can hold against that person, maybe even making up stories to “make them stay in their place, ”as I have heard some say.
A good example of, the excuse of trying to protect someone, is an incident that happened in 1977 to a Deaf man. There was a paper mill in Augusta, GA, where we lived at the time that refused to hire a Deaf man, because they said, he wouldn’t be able to hear the alarm if a huge roll of paper fell and began rolling toward him. In actuality the Deaf person would, more than likely, notice the problem before a hearing person, because they are very visually oriented, plus the fact that even a hearing person would not be able to move fast enough to get out of the way of that paper.The Deaf man sued the company, and won and they had to give him the job, because of the new law that had just been passed. The Deaf have always had to fight discrimination.
Most of the time people just don’t want to take the time to explain to the Deaf person what they want done. They think the Deaf can’t communicate with them, but they can always write, and in meetings and other situations they have interpreters. The Deaf are generally very hard workers, just like most minorities. They should not be overlooked for advancement, just because they are Deaf or minorities.From the 1970s to the present, people with disabilities have been great activists, and have become more visible, nationally and internationally, beginning with the Rehabilitation Act in 1973. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits any employers from discriminating against qualified people with disabilities in job placement, advancement, or anything having to do with their employment.
The Federal Glass Ceiling Commission found that 97% of the senior managers of the Fortune 1000 Industrial and Fortune 500 are white, and 95-97% are male, this occurring while 57% of the workforce are Ethnic minorities, woman, or both.The study also found that African, Hispanic(Latino), and Asian Americans each holding comparable positions do not earn equal pay, in addition, African Americans earn an astonishing 21% less while performing the same jobs as their counterparts who are White. Asian Americans have the worst chance to rise to the managerial level in the private industries, universities and Federal government, where 2. 1 million of us work: only 55% the chance as compared to the national average in the private industries, 41% the chance in universities, and 30% chance in the Federal government. We need to think continually about creating an equal opportunity environment. We have to value and use the human capital that we have.
We must Value our diversity, not just making numbers just to make people think we are not discriminatory. We must make small Incremental changes as we go along, aimed at bias. America wants the world to be able to look at us as an example of right, just as a student looks to his mentor for the answers to questions. What is right? How do I act? What is morality?We are the worlds example in many ways and if we can’t do it right, how can we expect others countries to change.
They look at our democracy and laugh, yet we are trying to get them to become democratic. We have come a long way from white male dominance, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to the American Creed, “All men are created equal. ” God tells us in His Word, we are all His children and he does not respect one more than the other, these verses are not speaking of the male population, but of all mankind. If a person has the better qualifications, than a white male, then they should get the job, no matter what sex, race, age, handicap, or any other group that is discriminated against. We have had over 200 years to learn, how long is it going to take? In Conclusion Paul Igasaki, a columnist with IM Diversity, says, “Ultimately, stripping away its emotional baggage and occasional abuses, affirmative action is the solution that makes business sense. The glass ceiling is not healthy for anyone.
It suppresses the diversity that is America’s most unique and powerful advantage. 6 We must all work together to stop the Glass Ceiling Effect, or it will never change. 1 (Schermerhorn Jr) 2 http://search. paperstore. net/cgi-bin/query? cheat&q=+glass+ceiling+and+descriminationw1ldgurl7 . “The Glass Ceiling and Discrimination”.
Web. May 17, 2005 3 Trumbull, Mark. / Staff writer. The Christian Science Monitor.
Web. February 8, 2007 edition 4 Hester, Ruth. http://www. associatedcontent. com/user/79899/ruth_hester. html.
Web. May 21, 2007. 5 Paul. The Holy Bible.
Romans 8:16 & Romans 2:11 6 Igasaki, Paul. MDiversity. com. Featured EEO Columnist
