The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Treated Differently at Workplace?

Jasmine Jones

5 May 2014

MANA 6320 Research Paper

Dr. Earl Crisp

The Glass Ceiling: Are Women Treated Differently at Workplace?

        Gender discrimination at the workplace is negativity that has to be dealt with. Several factors can lead to this unbecoming workplace habit. Gender discrimination can make victims suffer feel powerless, useless and make them have a low self-esteem. When firms lay off their worker, loyalty, job security, and hard work assumptions are challenged. This has the effect of affecting middle-aged and old workers who have huge financial responsibilities to bear. Younger male and female employees always have a chance of seeking re-employment in other firms. The females have a better chance than their male counterparts (Belasen 11-13).

        With a decrease in organizational management layers, few opportunities exist for promotion of employees. This inhibits career progress of old female employees who have few years to reach their retirement ages. Middle-aged and younger male employees sometimes acquire the high positions if the company chooses to have consistency and long lasting service provision.  Elevating an older employee to a higher rank in an organization means that the position will be vacant after a few years. To have continuity, some companies prefer to elevate middle-aged workers which may also be an incentive to the workers. The old generation of workers may feel that they deserve such positions because of their age and long term service to the company (Hunter 17-25).

        It is imperative to figure out the major reasons that cause discrimination against women at the workplace today. A research work would reveal the impacts of gender discrimination to the productivity and performance of an organization. Ways to deal with the problem as it has become imminently dangerous to the progress of organizations. Workers should co-exist and work in unison despite their age differences. Sharing experience and interacting in different forums would lead to appreciation of one another (Kumar, 23).

        Research reveals that gender discrimination has become a serious workplace problem in the 21st century. Study shows that female employees are subject to discrimination followed by old male employees. The old employees get considered to be less productive and boring at the workplace. The discrimination level is worse for old female employees who hold high ranks in an organization. The female employees are considered to be immature and inexperienced. There are several factors that cause gender discrimination at the workplace. Some of these factors include career timetables, relational demography, prototype matching and stereotyping. Stereotypes believe that female employees are less ambitious, less productive, difficult to train, and less productive. Such people believe that the older employees are thus beneficial to the growth of an organization. Jobs that require some physical strength rule out the women because of their believed lack of physical strength. Such jobs prefer to have male who are figured to be physically strong and energetic (Hunter, 31-32) Old women are also known to be traditional, moral-oriented and conservatives. The dynamics of global business have grossly changed. Some conservative ways of conducting business are disregarded, and practices have changed. Some companies believe that the old cannot perform to the required standards based on the modern age businesses.  Young and male employees are viewed to be motivated, innovative, and more productive than the older employees. This has consequently led to some organization giving preference to young employees.  Due to their drive and passion to learn, the young females tend to be vocal and inquisitive. Male employees may find this habit disturbing and become reluctant to share knowledge with the young employees. It is mandatory to decipher the factors that lead to gender discrimination. Relating the factors to the effects it causes is a measure to help in making recommendations to gender discrimination (Sandberg et al. 32-35).