Why the gender gap persists and how we can close it.
For years women have made up the majority of college-educated workers in
the United States. In 2019, the gap between the percentage of women and
the percentage of men in the workforce was the smallest on record. But
despite these statistics, women remain underrepresented in positions of
power and status, with the highest-paying jobs the most
gender-imbalanced. Even in fields where the numbers of men and women are
roughly equal, or where women actually make up the majority, leadership
ranks remain male-dominated.
The persistence of these inequalities begs the question: Why haven't we
made more progress?
In Glass Half-Broken, Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg reveal the
pervasive organizational obstacles and managerial actions—limited
opportunities for development, lack of role models and sponsors, and
bias in hiring, compensation, and promotion—that create gender
imbalances. Bringing to light the key findings from the latest research
in psychology, sociology, organizational behavior, and economics,
Ammerman and Groysberg show that throughout their careers—from
entry-level to mid-level to senior-level positions—women get pushed out
of the leadership pipeline, each time for different reasons. Presenting
organizational and managerial strategies designed to weaken and
ultimately break down these barriers, Glass Half-Broken is the
authoritative resource that managers and leaders at all levels can use
to finally shatter the glass ceiling.
