GLASS CEILING EFFECT IN FEMALE EMPLOYEES; INVESTIGATIING SELF- PERCEIVED ROLE OF BODY IMAGE

Abstract

The present study aimed at examining the impact of body image on glass ceiling phenomenon. The study also aimed at investigating the role of demographic variables in body image and glass ceiling (marital status, experience, gender of supervisor, education, no of children). Cash explain body image a multidimensional construct that represents how individuals’ think feel, and behave with regard to their own physical attributes (Cash, 1997). And Glass Ceiling is a discriminatory barrier to the advancement of women into upper positions of business, professions, and government. A sample of (N= 200) permanent employees of various cellular companies, public sector and Banks of Rawalpindi / Islamabad cities were drawn through purposive sampling. Finally the most important facets of body image and glass ceiling were indentified. Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scale and glass ceiling Scale were used to collect the information from participants. Pearson Correlation, ANOVA, and t-test were applied to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated several of the subscales of body image appear to differ significantly at different level of education i.e., on the Appearance Orientation, Fitness Orientation, Overweight Preoccupation, and Health Orientation representing that education is a significant contributing factor of the above mentioned domains of body image. Findings suggest that subjects with level of intermediate-graduation are higher on these subscales than other education categories. The results suggest that marital status causes significant mean differences on subscales of body image i.e., on the Appearance Orientation, Fitness evaluation, Fitness Orientation and on Overweight preoccupied scales. The significant difference on these subscales states that female selection and promotion may be affected due to these dimensions. Results showed that age is negatively correlated with appearance orientation, fitness orientation, fitness evaluation, and illness orientation. The study findings confirmed a negative correlation between experience and appearance evaluation, appearance orientation, fitness orientation, illness orientation as well with gender stereotype. Results showed that glass ceiling total is positively correlated with overweight preoccupied and with self-classified weight. Finally limitations, suggestions, and implications were discussed.