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Womens Issues
Running Head: What are the Problems and Challenges Facing Women or Minorities in Achieving Executive Positions?

Individual Final Research Project

What are the Problems and Challenges Facing Women or Minorities in Achieving Executive Positions?

Tasha Brown

Strategic Human Resource Management, GB520.01

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper was to explore the impact of the “glass ceiling” in corporate America, identify the challenges, and examine what problems women or minorities face when pursuing the rise up the corporate ladder. The paper also reviews and identifies the socioeconomic gender gaps, trends and impacts of work-life issues, and the lack of mentorship available to women or minorities. Results of research and studies conducted show women and minorities have made some progress from a sociological perspective managing to break through some barriers, but the mere existence of the “glass ceiling” continues. Through the eyes of those who are and have faced such challenges and problems, examination of this research will help to identify issues, and propose solutions to help corporations to better understand and recognize those hidden and subtle barriers. Lastly, this research will help organizations see the trends and how advancing women or minorities into executive positions can benefit the organization.

Outline I. Overview II. History A. Problems and Challenges 1. Women face 2. Minorities face 3. Human Resources face 4. Diversity III. Glass Ceiling Barriers A. Types 1. Different compensation for comparable work 2. Discrimination or harassment (sexual, ethnic, racial, religious, etc.) 3. Work and family 4. Lack of mentorship IV. Leadership Challenges A. Roles and responsibilities V. Battle of the Sexes A. Recruitment B. Educational C. Experience VI. Trends VII. Summary/Conclusion

What are the Problems


References: The Glass Ceiling. BusinessDictionary. (2011). Retrieved February 20, 2011 from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/glass-ceiling.html Lyness, K.S. & Thompson, D.E. (2000). Climbing the Corporate Ladder: Do female and male executives follow the same route? Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 86-101. The Sun Reporter (1995). Glass Ceiling Commission’s Final Report Top Executives. Retrieved February 5, 2011 from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2379898.html Sunder, R. (2009). The Observer. Women still face a steep climb to the top table. Retrieved February 4, 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/aug/23/women-directors-gender-gap-survey. Fitzpatrick, L. (2010). Time CNN Nation. Why Do Women Still Earn Less Then Men: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1983185,00.html Society for Human Resource Management (2004). Women in Business and Mentoring. Retrieved February 5, 2011 from http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Pages/MentoringSeriesPartIIIWomeninBusinessandMentoring.aspx. Bell, M., McLaughlin, M.E., Sequeira, J. Discrimination, Harrassment, and the Glass Ceiling. http://www.wallnetwork.ca/inequity/5bell.pdf Brown, E.M., Haygood, M., & McLean, J.R. (2010). The Little Black Book of Success. Laws of Leadership for Black Women. Random House Publishing Group. Burress, J.H., & Zucca, L.J. (2004). The Gender Equity Gap in Top Corporate Executive Positions. American Journal of Business. Retrieved February 14, 2011 from http://www.bsu.edu/mcobwin/majb/?p=111 Silverman, E.R. (1997). The Scientist. Faculty of 1000. Retrieved February 14, 2011 from http://f1000scientist.com/article/display/17500/
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