This research addresses the question of using organisational intervention in order to break the 'glass ceiling' for women within organisations. The research focuses on the factors and the processes that had an impact upon the implementation of an organisational intervention program that aimed to create a change regarding the glass ceiling, in two municipalities in Israel. The "Breaking the Glass Ceiling Programme" aimed to include organisations in the efforts to create a change in the status of women within the organisational world and was developed based on five assumptions: (1) Organisations strive for effectiveness (2) Organisations recognise the value of realising the human resources potential as contributory to effectiveness (3) Organisations do not understand that the glass ceiling leads to non-realisation of human resources (4) Organisations that understand this will search for a modus operandi to minimise the phenomenon (5) The organisations will adopt the modus operandi and act accordingly. The aim of the research was to learn if we are able to convince organisations' decision makers to see the glass ceiling as an organisational problem that harms the organisation's effectiveness and then find out if and how we can use organisational interventions in order to introduce a change in this regard. The adoption of a qualitative research enabled an in-depth view of the researched events-- the two case studies-- by using a variety of information sources and a wide range of tools. In fact. the use of the case study method revealed a new perspective on the phenomena of the glass ceiling that would not have been achieved if a quantitative survey had been carried out. An analysiS of the findings shows that it is possible to address the glass ceiling as an organisational problem and it is possible to "educate" the organisation (the decision-makers) into regarding the issue as injurious to the effective functioning of the organisation. In light of this, it seems to be possible to contend with the glass ceiling through organisational intervention. At the same time, because of the complexity of the Issue such organisational intervention requires special attention and strictness at each of Its phases: from the preliminary preparations of examining the organisational environment to the monitoring and implementation stage. The resistance to breaking the glass ceiling is not just about sexism, but about the social expectations in particular societies and the ways in which organisations work and are resistant to change anyway - be it change about gender or anything else. iii Those who deal with gender inequality must use all means at their disposal, especially in Israel where the society is a society with a sense of contInuous existential threat. The complexity of an immigrant society with many different cultures creates a unique climate for the glass ceiling problem as well as the issue of gender differences and inequality. Therefore, striving only for correct legislation and its enforcement or only for increasing women's awareness of the issue is giving up in advance on any attempt to enlist the organisations and their leaders in the struggle.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:559236 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Blum, Dvora |
| Publisher | University of Sussex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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