Beyond Glass Ceilings and Brick Walls - International Labour ...

with decision-making and controlling authority because of this misunderstanding.
The empowerment process should be structured and designed as an enabling
process towards an ultimate win-win situation according to the organization’s
vision, mission and goals.
Thus within organizations too what would be required is the redefinition
of power relationships and the restructuring of decision-making. With
greater empowerment, people would take more responsibility and initiatives,
and act with the interest of the organization in mind. “If empowerment is
the first attribute of women’s leadership, creating the organizational
structure to foster it is the second.” p71. Aburdene and Naisbitt (1994).
The manner in which gender is played in interpersonal relationships and
its subtle nature is analyzed in detail by Morley (1999). The comments
made by sexist persons can have loaded sexual connotations. These have
negative effects on women. They are also subtle threats to ensure women’s
subordination. The micro-politics of an organization needs closer study in
order to understand its dynamics and effects.
A major challenge to management is to be aware of the growing wealth of
information and knowledge in designing its organizational structures and
processes. The body of knowledge that has been developed in the recent
past on understanding human behaviour as well as interpersonal relationships
and group dynamics provide us the tools to re-examine and re-craft the way
organizations can be developed and managed to respond effectively to social
needs. Within this context, organizations, including business, must be able
to meet the needs of the people who work for them as well as benefit from
their products and services. Learning to change and helping people change
and adapt rationally is a major challenge that managers face.
V. Constraints to Women in Management
The low representation of women in management positions is a result of
limited access and slow mobility. This situation is known as the “glass ceiling”.
Fewer women are able to rise within the ranks of organizations. Further,
fewer numbers of women are recruited to the vast range of jobs that are
considered to be more suitable for men. When compared to their male
counterparts, who have much better access to almost all employment
opportunities as well as smoother vertical career mobility, women face many
barriers. Several constraints can be identified based on the case studies
undertaken by us and the available literature. These are enumerated below:
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