Glass ceiling and its impact on work performance: a study of IT industry in India

Purpose This paper aims to develop a model of challenges that the female professionals face in the IT industry in India and analyze if these challenges have an impact on the work performance of these employees. Design/methodology/approach To achieve study objectives, data were collected through survey questionnaires from 237 female executives used in the listed IT companies in India. The data were then analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling technique. Findings The findings found support for a five factor model of glass ceiling comprising socio-cultural barriers, organizational culture barriers, organizational climate related barriers, role conflict and personality related barriers. It thus implies that the glass ceiling is a multifaceted problem for female IT professionals in India. It was also found that there is a high correlation between different barriers implying that these barriers are interrelated to and interdependent on each other. With regard to the impact on the work performance, the study found that the socio-cultural barriers have a positive impact while the organizational culture related barriers have a negative impact on the work performance of female employees. Other barriers however were not found to have an impact on the performance of female employees. Originality/value This study is one of the very few studies that tend to analyze the impact of glass ceiling on objective organizational variables like performance. Hence, this study would provide a strong reason for the organizations to work on the removal of glass ceiling.