Lebanese perceptions of the glass ceiling

• Date: 16 November 2015
• Published date: 16 November 2015
• Pages: 678-691
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-11-2014-0082
• Author: Mayssa Rishani,Mohamad Mallah,Sarwat Houssami,Hussein Ismail

Lebanese perceptions of the

glass ceiling

Mayssa Rishani, Mohamad Mallah and Sarwat Houssami

Lebanese American University (LAU), Beirut, Lebanon, and

Hussein Ismail

Department of Management Studies,

Lebanese American University (LAU), Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present insights regarding the barriers that prevent women

in Lebanon reaching parity with men in senior leadership positions. The paper also portrays men and

women’s varying perceptions regarding these barriers.

Design/methodology/approach –A total of 129 participants at a Lebanese university took part in

the study. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS. Frequencies and χ

2

-tests were conducted.

Findings –The findings suggest that women are more likely to be discriminated against and are thus

more likely to be underrepresented in top leadership positions. Organizational and cultural barriers

were considered to cause this discrimination. Women were more likely than men to believe that women

face more barriers while climbing the career ladder. Men were more likely than women to believe that

organizations are the parties responsible for this underrepresentation, more so than the surrounding

culture. Surprisingly, a sound proportion of women believed that men are more competent at

occupying top management positions in Lebanon.

Originality/value –This is one of the few studies to explore Lebanese perceptions on the workplace’s

glass ceiling. Further, it examines the differences in opinions between males and females on women in

the workplace, which has not been previously studied. This research contributes further to the existing

body of knowledge on women in management in Lebanon and the Middle Eastern region, which is

generally small in quantity.

Keywords Lebanon, Women in management, Gender discrimination, Glass ceiling

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Women have made enormous progress in entering the job market, as they currently

account for 35 percent of the workforce, globally; yet their representation in top-level

managerial positions in business remains nominal at 24 percent (Grant Thornton,

2013). There are several women in the corporate business field who are well equipped to

advance into senior managerial roles (Hoobler et al., 2011). However, few women attain

such positions in comparison to the representation of men at this level. In the world of

work as we know it today, the higher you ascend in the managerial hierarchy, the less

visible women become (Akpinar-Sposito, 2013). This raises the question, why are there

still so few women in top leadership positions?

Several studies have investigated the barriers women face that hinder their career

advancement, and the metaphor of the “glass ceiling”is used to refer to these invisible

obstacles (Oakley, 2000). The gender discrimination that women face, regardless

of their leadership skills, educational level, experience and qualifications, is a topic of

interest in this study. Challenging situations demand unwavering decisions and actio ns

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

An International Journal

Vol. 34 No. 8, 2015

pp. 678-691

©Emerald Group Publishing Limited

2040-7149

DOI 10.1108/EDI-11-2014-0082

Received 3 June 2014

Revised 9 June 2015

20 July 2015

Accepted 5 August 2015

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-7149.htm

The authors would like to thank Dr F. Jordan Srour for her invaluable comments on an earlier

version of this work.

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EDI

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