The Effect of Gender Role Perception on The Glass Ceiling in Organizations

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of gender role perception on glass ceiling perception in businesses.
Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted using a correlational survey design, one of the quantitative research methods. The population of the study consists of female and male employees working in medium- and large-scale enterprises operating in Türkiye. Due to the large size of the population, a convenience sampling method was employed, and a total of 300 participants from 12 enterprises operating in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir were included in the study. Data were collected through a survey method and analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability tests, correlation, regression, t-test, and ANOVA analyses via the SPSS 26.0 software package.
Results – The findings indicate a moderate, positive, and statistically significant relationship between gender role perception and glass ceiling perception (r = .46, p < .01). The results of the simple linear regression analysis reveal that gender role perception is a significant predictor of glass ceiling perception (β = .46, R² = .21, p < .001). Analyses based on demographic variables show that women report significantly higher levels of glass ceiling perception than men. In addition, glass ceiling perception increases with age and educational level. Sectoral differences indicate that glass ceiling perception is higher in the service and finance sectors compared to the manufacturing sector.
Discussion – The findings demonstrate that the glass ceiling is a multidimensional phenomenon emerging at the intersection of individual, organizational, and societal factors. Considering that higher scores on the scale represent more traditional and unequal gender role attitudes, the results suggest that an increase in gender role perception scores is associated with a stronger perception of the glass ceiling. These findings are consistent with previous national and international studies and highlight the importance of developing human resource policies that promote gender equality within organizations.