Glass Ceiling Syndrome In Turkish Finance Sector: The Case Of Women Working In Banks

This paper aims at analyzing the problems women face in their business life and during the mobilization process in Turkish financial sector. Two basic questions of the study are: first, portrayal of women working in different positions in public and private banks, particularly women managers; and, second, the problems women face in their work-life that originate from their family life, business environment and social norms. The barriers and obstacles women encounter during their mobilization process are the basic questions of this research. This study is based on the results of a survey supported by the World Bank and conducted through face-to-face interview with 408 women working in 106 banks in 12 different Turkish cities. The research data has been obtained through the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Results of the study indicate that there is a glass ceiling syndrome in Turkish finance sector in both public and private banks. Even though women make up majority (54 percent) of the workforce, only 23 percent hold managerial positions, a significant decrease in the percentage of women managers in financial sector. It is argued in this paper that women face diverse obstacles and barriers during their mobilization process. While some of these barriers are observable and testable, an important part of them is indeed unobservable, and thus hidden. The unobservable barriers constitute the glass ceiling that prevents women’s mobilization to the top managerial positions. The research has found that the barriers women face in their work-life are originated from their personnel choice as well as from their familial background, organizational culture and social norms. Also, women’s personnel choice has been colored by the traditional social norms through their socialization process. The combination of diverse barriers has allowed women to mobilize up to mid-range managerial positions, but unfortunately not beyond.