Title:
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How can we use an organisational intervention to break the glass ceiling? : the case study of the 'breaking the glass ceiling' programme in municipalities in Israel
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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.
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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.
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