Abstract:
Women make up around half of the human population, yet, in most public spheres, they are severely underrepresented. My focus for this thesis, however, is on one particular arena and that is leadership positions in the corporate world. Even in nations that have made significant progress in terms of gender equality, there is a considerable gap in the top echelons of the corporate world. Women rarely make it to any leadership positions, and those who do, have to face considerable hardships. This form of discrimination is mostly found in workplaces with clearly defined hierarchical structures. In such environments, it is observed that women often face several invisible barriers that stagnate their careers at mid-level management positions. It is not legal restrictions that prevent women from reaching these positions. This kind of discrimination is distinct from the gender inequality observed in other areas of life. There is a dedicated term for this phenomenon, “The Glass Ceiling Effect”. In this thesis, I look into why this phenomenon exists and how it can be addressed through HR policy interventions. I chose a firm situated in Pakistan that I currently work at and surveyed five women in different management positions to get insight into how this firm has been able to construct an inclusive environment in this particular context. This firm has an adequate ratio of women at the executive level, and through my interviews, I was able to determine what specific company policies enabled that. My research revealed that companies that solely allowed internal promotions and performance-based rewards were more likely to have motivated and dedicated women workers since a meritocratic system ensured the absence of gender biases. Furthermore, firms that accommodated their women’s workers' needs were able to have higher women retention and motivated staff. Times Consultancy Ltd. does this by ensuring that the women workers have safe private transport to enable mobility, and flexible hours in case they have to cater to their personal commitments like family. Moreover, the firm had an informal vi affirmative action policy in place and involved women in the hiring process. All of these factors resulted in women being more dedicated and motivated on the job and equally represented at the highest levels of the corporate ladder.
