A bibliometric overview of research on the glass ceiling for women

Mansi Taparia () and Usha Lenka ()
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Mansi Taparia: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Department of Management Studies
Usha Lenka: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Department of Management Studies

Management Review Quarterly, 2025, vol. 75, issue 4, No 11, 3219-3261

Abstract: Abstract This paper seeks to present a state-of-art overview of research on the barriers constituting glass ceiling for women by presenting insights about the key research trends and highlighting the prominent themes that have been researched in this domain so far. For this purpose, a quantitative bibliometric analysis along with content analysis was conducted to analyse 536 Scopus indexed journal articles traversing over a period from 1978 to 2024. The results of the study highlight prominent authors, countries and journals focusing on the issue of glass ceiling. It also highlights the level of collaboration among various researchers working in this domain. The study also puts forward an integrated framework of barriers that hinder women’s career progression. The framework further highlights that different barriers are interrelated to and interdependent on each other and it is the combination of barriers that create additional pressures for women. Finally, the study proposes several directions in which research may be carried out in future. The results will be instrumental for academicians, managers and the policy makers. For academicians, this study provides a stronghold of existing research on glass ceiling and potential areas for future studies. For managers, the interactive nature of barriers highlighted by the study apprises them of the fact that gender diversity initiatives will not work until employees are sensitized about their unconscious and implicit stereotypes. The interdependent nature of barriers identified through the review process further stresses the need for collective efforts by corporate managers and policy makers to improve female representation at top managerial positions. Finally, for the policy makers, the study stresses upon the need for a robust enforcement mechanism to ensure implementation of laws enacted for welfare of women and the need to bring about changes in the school curriculum to foster leadership aspirations among girls. This study covers only journal articles indexed in Scopus database. Hence some studies that are not indexed in Scopus may have been left out. The findings of this study serve as an important milestone for the researchers wishing to further advance this field of study.

Keywords: Women managers; Glass ceiling; Career barriers; Bibliometric analysis; Literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11301-024-00457-6

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