The Glass Ceiling in Law Enforcement: Past, Present and Future

The Glass Ceiling in Law Enforcement: Past, Present and Future

Introduction

Coined in the start of 1980s, the term “Glass Ceiling” denotes an unbreakable and invisible barrier that puts off the progression of women and people of color further than middle management into top executive management positions, regardless of their qualifications (Hymowitz & Schelhardt, 1986). The U.S. Department of Labor has defined the term glass ceiling as fake barricades based on organizational or attitudinal prejudice that put a stop to competent individuals from progressing upward in their companies or organization into the designations of senior management (U.S. Department of Labor, 1995). The idea of a glass ceiling was at first used to express women's obstructed opportunities or prospective within organizations and has been practical to the experiences of racial minorities. It is normally denoted as the blockade that cannot be touched or seen however has the effect of preventing women and people of color from getting to the top level positions in organizations (Maume, 2004).

Discussion

Historical Perspective

The term glass ceiling was not extensively argued till the mid of 1980s, as soon as two reporters from Wall Street Journal applied the term in an article on the subject of women managers who could not seem to advance or step forward through a “glass ceiling” that obstructed them from progressing to senior-management designations (Hymowitz & Schelhardt, 1986). Additionally, these reporters mentioned that women managers were liable to get lower salaries and have less control and influence as compare to male managers. Therefore, the term was initially introduced in relation with the careers of women; however other authors revealed that members of minority ethnic and racial groups encountered similar barricades that stopped them from progressing to executive-level posts (Hymowitz & Schelhardt, 1986).

Issues related to Glass Ceiling received yet further public attention when the Civil Rights Act of 1991 was passed by the U.S. Congress and obligated the president and Congress members to sign up a Glass Ceiling Commission, presided by the Secretary of Labor (Morrison,Van & White, 1992). This commission was established to look into the barriers of glass-ceiling and make proposals regarding how to get rid of these barriers and raise opportunities for females and minority people to progress into decision-making and management positions in organizations (Morrison,Van & White, 1992).

A report was issued by the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission summarizing its results in the year 1995 and verified that there did come into view a glass ceiling barricading advancement of people of color and women in the businesses of the United States (Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, 1995). For instance, in Fortune 1000 industrial companies, 97% of the senior managers were White, whereas 95% were males, in spite of the fact that about 57% of the workers were comprised of women or members of minority ethnic or racial groups (Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, 1995). This report disclosed 3 levels of glass ceiling obstructions:

Societal Barriers, like prejudice and stereotypes associated with ethnicity, race, and gender;

Structural Barriers in organizations, ...