Investigating The Glass Ceiling: How Women In Top Media Management Shattered The Glass Ceiling

This paper explores the successful experiences of women in top media management and their attitudes toward factors of the glass ceiling to identify which factors they perceive as most important, those that remain prominent, and other factors that may have aided in their success. The glass ceiling is the “unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements” (Cotter, Hermsen, Ovadia, & Vanneman, 2001). This ceiling persists for women in top media management, despite increased feminization in these fields. Previous studies conclude that family obligations, lack of development opportunities, lack of mentorship, organizational support, and gendered occupational roles are more prominent factors that hinder women from advancing into top management. An internet survey was used to measure the attitudes of women in media management and to gain qualitative data about their experience. A total of 114 responses were collected and results indicated that nearly half (45.54%) of women reported that they had not experienced the glass ceiling in terms of restricting them from their management careers. Qualitative data revealed, however, that it was not that they had not encountered the glass ceiling; it was the idea that because they had ignored the glass ceiling, they did not believe it restricted them from their management careers. This coping mechanism further normalizes the hegemonic structure of most broadcast environments.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. in Journalism

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2017

Author dc:creator

• Love, Jessica Frenshea

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bradley Schultz
• Kristen Swain
• Robert Magee

• Glass Ceiling
• Hegemonic Masculinity
• Media Management
• Women
• Mass Communication

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/649

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-1648