Attribution theory and the glass ceiling: Career development among federal employees

Abstract

Individuals who are not promoted or miss out on developmental opportunities suffer career setbacks that can greatly, and adversely, effect motivation and productivity. Attribution theory examines the causal inferences that subordinates themselves hold as to why they failed to receive promotion or were denied a developmental opportunity. The glass ceiling phenomenon also readily lends itself to attributional interpretations. Using the 1991/1992 Career Development (Glass Ceiling) Survey conducted by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, this study first looked at the barriers to promotion. In general, a pattern emerges in which attributions viewed as long-term and beyond the control of the individual to remedy are strongly attested to. Added to these general perceptions are heightened concerns expressed by women and minorities that the biases and in-group, buddy systems operate even more adversely against them.

Citation

Daley, D.M. (1998), "Attribution theory and the glass ceiling: Career development among federal employees", International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 93-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-01-01-1998-B005