تبیین الگوی توسعه مسیر شغلی زنان با تأکید بر غلبه بر موانع شیشه‌ای در سازمان‌های دولتی ایران

نسیم بهرامی خوشمهر; یحیی داداش کریمی; فرهاد نژاد حاجی علی ایرانی

Authors

Nasim Bahrami Khooshemehr Ph.D. Student, Department of Public Administration, Bon.C., Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7370-2616
Yahya Dadashkarimi Department of Public Administration, Bon.C., Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8101-1216
Farhad Nezhad Haji Ali Irani Department of Public Administration, Bon.C., Islamic Azad University, Bonab, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7304-2128

Keywords:

Glass ceiling, women's career paths, government organizations, professional development, gender equity

Abstract

This study aimed to explain and validate a women’s career development model emphasizing the overcoming of glass-ceiling barriers in Iranian public organizations. This applied study employed a descriptive-survey design based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population comprised 710 managers and employees working in public organizations in East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan Provinces, Iran. Based on Cochran’s formula, 255 participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed 76-item questionnaire rated on a five-point Likert scale. Content validity was assessed through expert judgment and CVR and CVI indices, while construct validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis. The overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.901, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Data were analyzed using SPSS and LISREL, with structural equation modeling applied to validate the proposed model. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that all five dimensions had significant factor loadings. The standardized factor loadings were 0.76 for enhancement of professional and specialized competencies, 0.66 for professional networking and support, 0.92 for controlling structural biases in decision-making, 0.68 for developing transparent policies, and 0.86 for defining women’s position within career pathways. Controlling structural biases in decision-making showed the strongest contribution to the model. Furthermore, the final model demonstrated satisfactory goodness of fit, with RMSEA=0.049 and GFI=0.92, supporting the empirical adequacy of the proposed structure. Women’s career development and effective transition beyond glass-ceiling barriers in public organizations require an integrated approach combining professional empowerment, networking and organizational support, reduction of structural biases, transparent promotion policies, and clearly defined and equitable career positions for women.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adamovic, M., & Leibbrandt, A. (2023). Is There a Glass Ceiling for Ethnic Minorities to Enter Leadership Positions? Evidence from a Field Experiment with over 12,000 Job Applications. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(2), 101655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2022.101655

Akpan, A. P., Jonah, J. F., Abasiattai, E. A., & Udo, I. E. (2025). Glass Ceiling Phenomenon and Women Career Advancement: The Nigerian Perspective. African Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 8(1), 105-116. https://doi.org/10.52589/AJESD-54ZBDOWW

Chen, S., Chen, Y., & Jebran, K. (2023). Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Informal Gender-Based Status Hierarchy and Corporate Misconduct. Journal of Business Research, 169, 114281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114281

Cotter, A. D., Hermsen, M. J., Ovadia, S., & Vanneman, R. (2020). The Glass Ceiling Effect. Social Forces, 80(2), 655-682. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.2001.0091

Dehghan Shadkam, A., & Akhavan, A. (2024). Examining the Relationship between the Glass Ceiling and Career Advancement of Female Employees in Industrial Units of the Central Iron Ore Company of Bafq with the Mediating Role of Self-Concept. Women and Society Research, 15(59), 121-133.

Derks, B., Van Laar, C., & Ellemers, N. (2025). Micro-Inequities at Work: How Subtle Bias Undermines Gender Equality. Academy of Management Review, 50(1), 1-24.

Hashempour, R., & Kakavand, E. (2022). A Comparative Assessment of Gender Justice with an Approach to Promoting Women's Empowerment in the Use of Urban Space with Emphasis on the Concept of the Glass Ceiling: A Case Study of Qazvin City. Environmental Planning Research, 16(62), 71-90.

Kianpour, S., Farhang, A., & Shamsollahi, R. (2025). The Effect of the Glass Ceiling on the Women's Entrepreneurship Index in Iran: A Copula Functions Approach. Entrepreneurship Development Quarterly, 18(1), 89-118.

Mahmoudzadeh, S. M., Dehdashti Shahrokh, Z., Yazdanshenas, M., & Bahrami, P. (2022). Contextual Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of the Mentoring Process on Women's Career Advancement. Management Studies (Improvement and Transformation), 105(3), 7-30.

Majidi, A., Zardari, S., & Alivand, Z. (2021). The Role of Self-Awareness in the Job Performance of Public Library Librarians in East Azerbaijan Province. Information Research and Public Libraries, 27(4), 651-678.

Malmir, A., & Ebrahimzadeh, M. (2024). Identifying and Prioritizing Glass Ceiling Factors in Women's Career Advancement Using a Fuzzy Inference System. Management and Development Process Quarterly, 37(3), 61-80.

Mirzaei, M., Soleimani, M., & Afkar, A. (2025). Identifying the Challenges of Breaking the Glass Ceiling through an Organizational Bullying Approach among Women in the Ministry of Sport and Youth and Proposing Solutions. Journal of Management and Organizational Behavior in Sport, 14(1), 55-77.

Naguib, R., & Madeeha, N. (2023). Making Visible the Invisible: Exploring the Role of Gender Biases on the Glass Ceiling in Qatar's Public Sector. Women's Studies International Forum, 98(3), 102723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102723

Nazari, L. (2021). Women's Leadership: An Approach toward Breaking the Glass Ceiling. Women and Society, 12(47), 37-43.

Seyedabadi, F., Salajegheh, S., Fatehirad Givaki, N., & Firoozabadi, A. (2024). The Role of Women's Employment Policies in Their Career Success along the Career Path with the Mediating Role of the Glass Ceiling. New Approaches in Public Administration, 1(4), 88-112.