Women and Men at Work" Term Paper

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The glass ceiling that women bump up against in many workplaces and cannot move past exists because of fear, and partly because of misunderstanding. Many men fear or are hostile to competition by women in the workforce, and others simply do not feel women are qualified to manage or oversee a company. Yes, the glass ceiling exists, and statistics prove it.

Tannen notes that it is common for women not to receive all the credit they deserve for projects and for their positions in general. Some women never are promoted, while others make it to a certain level of management and no further. For example, Tannen notes, "A woman who headed a major division of her company, and who did work comparable to that of six men who headed the other six divisions, had the title 'director" while the men were vice-presidents" (Tannen 134). There seems little reason for disparities such as these other than the women allow them and the companies get away with them. Perhaps the women do not speak up for themselves as loudly as men do, or they are afraid of their position, but women often do not speak out about inequities such as this.

Tannen notes many of the problems in the workforce between men and women are because of different communication types and skills, and this may be another reason the glass ceiling exists. Women and men have different communication styles. Men may not understand what women are asking for, and women may not understand what men are looking for in the workplace. Thus, there are misunderstandings and missed opportunities, which can also lead to the glass ceiling for many women. They may not realize that they are sabotaging their own abilities by communicating ineffectually or not speaking out when they see inequities and do not speak out about them.

In addition, there are many women (and men, as well), who may not want to move any further in an organization. The glass ceiling exists for them because they have reached the level they hoped to attain, and do not want to reach any higher.

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Some women may want to give top priority to their families, while others may not want the additional responsibilities that go with an executive position. Tannen notes in her book that many women seem to feel that simply doing a "good" or "great" job is enough to earn a promotion, while men seem to add politics and posturing to the mix, such as eating lunch or working out with the boss. As she notes, "When lunchtime comes, the one who eats with the boss may be doing more to get ahead than the one who stays in the office, eating a sandwich and working" (Tannen 135). Unfortunately, women who do not understand the politics of the workplace may "mark" all women as less motivated or interested than men, which only adds to the concept and actuality of the glass ceiling.

Thus, women may not be being promoted because they do not "play office games" and do not ask for promotions - it could be that simple. It seems that the glass ceiling might disappear, or at least rise a little higher, if more women learned how to act more assertive and self-assured in the workplace - something men have been doing for much longer and much more effectively. Women may be at least partially at fault for the glass ceiling, as difficult as that may be for them to admit to themselves.

In conclusion, women still face many obstacles in the workplace. They are marked by how they dress, their titles, and their backgrounds. The glass ceiling may keep them forever below the heights they hope to attain. They have to work harder than men to get ahead, and they have to learn new communications styles to survive. The workplace can be difficult for women, but with more women in the workplace than ever before, it seems that new ways of doing business may include more women in the future......

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