Glass Ceiling and Women’s Career Development: Evidence from Sri Lankan Logistics Field

Abstract

Women are entering the labor force in greater numbers than ever before, however women in top leadership positions remain scarce. Scholars have coined the term "glass ceiling" to describe this troubling condition, where women face invisible obstacles while attempting to advance in their careers. The present study is mainly aimed at exploring the glass ceiling and women’s career development in the logistics field in Sri Lanka. Qualitative research approach was adopted and in-depth interviews with ten women executives employed in the field of logistics in Sri Lanka contributed towards data collection of the study. The respondents were purposively selected. The thematic analysis revealed four themes as major glass ceiling factors: self-efficacy, family role, social capital and organizational culture. The study proposes recommendations on how women in the field of Logistics can shatter the glass ceiling to reach higher positions and the opportunities to increase women representation in top managerial positions within the field. This research intends to raise women's awareness in order to pave the way for them to rise to the top of the corporate ladder and to include women in strategic decision-making that benefits both the organization and the society.