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Ethical Analysis of the Glass Ceiling

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Ethical Analysis of the Glass Ceiling
Ethical Analysis of The Glass Ceiling

Justin Halferty

Dallas Baptist University

Introduction Throughout the span of American history is can be said with confidence that the roles of genders have played a huge role in both the success and downfall of this great nation. From the rural up brings of the Puritans to the successful businessmen and women, politicians, and leaders that have propelled the Untied States to becoming a super power and force to be reckoned with in the world, we are still facing the unfortunate debacle of treating women differently or inferior when it comes to leadership positions. Some of our greatest leaders such as Mary Kay, Condalisa Rice, and Irene Rosenfied have been women that have sprung up within the last century in business, poetics, and education. Along with the increase in female leaders we are seeing that may of these women are becoming CEO and Vice Presidents of some of the largest corporations in the United States, for example, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Avon, and even Google. Whether this philosophy is motivated by a religious mindset or the threat of emasculating the male gender, the question must be asked are women treated differently in leadership positions and more importantly why? Therefore it is important to take the research conducted in this paper and accurately analyze research supporting and opposing the belief that women are in fact treated differently in leadership positions as well as efforts at correcting this wrong and the ethical analysis of the issues at hand.
The Glass Ceiling According to the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, the term glass ceiling is referred to as “the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements” (FGCC 4). Since the beginnings of America, freedoms have been the catalysts for change. It goes without saying that the



References: Adams, Jimi. (2007). Stained Glass Makes the Ceiling Visible: Organizational Opposition to Women in Congregational Leadership. Gender and Society, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 80-105 Retrieved from JSTOR. Cotter, David A., Joan M. Hermsen, Seth Ovadia, and Reece Vanneman (2001). The glass ceiling effect. Social Forces, Vol. 80 No. 2, pp. 655–81. Retrieved from JSTOR. Coenen, Tracy. (2008). The Mythical “Glass Ceiling” for Women. Web 27 November 2011. Retrieved from . "Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood." Southwestern Theological Seminary, 1987 Davies-Netzley, Sally A. (1998). Women above the Glass Ceiling: Perceptions on Corporate Mobility and Strategies for Success. Gender and Society, Vol. 12, No. 3, p. 340 Retrieved from JSTOR. Delvin, C. (2011). Twice Through the Glass Ceiling: Sue Birdwell-Alves. East Texas Historical Journal, 49(2), 24-43. Retrieved from EBSCO. Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. (1995) Solid Investments: Making Full Use of the Nation’s Human Capital. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor. 4-10 Galles, K Gregory, R. F. (2003). Women and Workplace Discrimination : Overcoming Barriers to Gender Equality. Rutgers University Press. Retrieved from JSTOR. Haskins, Katherine M., and Edward Ransford. (1999). The Relationship between Weight and Career Payoffs among Women Naff, Katherine C. (1994). Through the Glass Ceiling: Prospects for the Advancement of Women in the Federal Civil Service. Public Administration Review , Vol. 54, No. 6 pp. 507-514 Retrieved from EBSCO N Weiss, A. E. (1999). Glass Ceiling: A Look at Women in the Workforce. Twenty-First Century Books. Retrieved from JSTOR. Wright, Deil S., and Angela M. Bullard. (1993). Circumventing the Glass Ceiling: Women Executives in American State Governments. Public Administration Review 53.3 189-202 Zimmermann, R. A. (1994). The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993: What does it mean for your organization?. Employee Benefits Journal, 19(3), 10 Retrieved from EBSCO

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