Why it’s so difficult to break the glass ceiling
Workplace discrimination comes in many different forms and shapes. But research out of the University of Colorado shows how women and minorities are often punished for promoting other women and minorities.
Researchers at the University of Colorado say they think they’ve solved the puzzle of why there is still a glass ceiling. They say women and minority leaders are discouraged from focusing on diversity, while white men are praised for doing so.
Matthew Kohut is Managing Partner of KNP Communications and co-author of the book, “Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential.”
“This is a double standard. There’s no question that this is straight up discrimination,” says Kohut.
Kohut says a positive case for diversity has to be made again and again.
“Certainly my hope would be that, that would minimize the impact of this double standard and that would begin to chip away at it,” says Kohut.
But in the meantime, the best and brightest employees could still be overlooked. Lissa Broome heads the Director Diversity Initiative at the University of North Carolina Law School.
“So I would really hate the result of this to be that people don’t go to bat for whomever they believe the best candidate is regardless of that person’s gender or race,” said Broome.
The study suggests one way to change this behavior is to get rid of the idea of “diversity” and instead focus on “demographic unselfishness.”
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