问答题 Mary Barra made history last year when she became the first woman to lead the development of new ears and trucks at General Motors, the world"s largest automaker. In January, Virginia Rometty took over as CEO of IBM, the first woman to head the technology giant in its 101-year history. 1 These milestones in male-dominated industries are raising new questions about women"s advancement in the workplace. Does the glass ceiling still exist, or is it an outdated metaphor that fails to acknowledge the progress women have made?
2 Nearly three decades after the introduction of the glass ceiling metaphor, many women say the glass ceiling is very much intact, pointing to the data that show women last year held just 14 percent of all executive officer positions at Fortune 500 companies. But others disagree, citing advances made by women in recent years. And some contend that the glass ceiling should be replaced by a different metaphor. When asked if a glass ceiling still exists for women, Barra said, "I don"t think so. I"ve never seen it or felt it in my career." She acknowledged the small percentage of women in top executive positions but said she expects the situation will improve, noting that "it"s just a matter of time."
Linda Carli, a psychology professor at Wellesley College and an expert on genderdiscrimination, sees things differently. 3 She said women still face major workplace hurdles, but she wouldn"t describe them as a glass ceiling. She thinks a labyrinth is a better metaphor. 4 "There are women getting to very_ high places, and yet the rest of us are still floundering," Carli said. 5 No matter where you stand on the issue of a glass ceiling, there"s no denying that women are underrepresented in the top ranks of corporate America.