Glass Half-Broken: Shattering the Barriers That Still Hold Women Back at Work

by Colleen Ammerman, Boris Groysberg Narrated by Chloe Cannon

Overview

Women have made up roughly half of the college-educated workforce for years, and before the onset of the economic crisis of 2020, the gap between the percentage of women and the percentage of men in the labor force was the lowest on record. But women remain underrepresented in positions of power and status. The gender pay gap, for example, shows little movement, largely because high-paying jobs are the most gender-imbalanced. Even in areas where there are roughly equal numbers of men and women, or where women actually make up the majority, leadership ranks remain male-dominated.



The endurance of these inequalities begs the question: Why haven't we made more progress?



Ammerman and Groysberg focus on the pervasive organizational obstacles and managerial actions that create gender imbalance. Bringing to light the key findings from the latest research in psychology, sociology, and economics, Glass Half-Broken shows that along their entire career path, women get pushed out of the leadership pipeline and, at each point, for different reasons. Presenting institutional and managerial strategies designed to overcome and mitigate these barriers at each step in the career path, Glass Half-Broken is the authoritative resource that managers and leaders at all levels can use to finally shatter the glass ceiling.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/22/2021

Women have made progress in the workforce, but only up to a point, argue Ammerman, director of the Harvard Business School Gender Initiative, and Groysberg (Chasing Stars), a Harvard Business School professor of business administration. Women “remain underrepresented, often dramatically so, in positions of power,” they write, due to systemic inequalities and a status quo that keeps women from rising into leadership roles, despite years of corporate and government initiatives and activism. And when women do rise to positions of power, the authors write, they tend to be tokenized. Ammerman and Groysberg present a hopeful road map to counter this, which includes advice for organizations and individuals on attracting candidates (assess the language in job postings “and identify where it may suggest that women candidates are less desirable”) and guidance for male allies (such as choosing to mentor women). Useful “what managers can do” sections suggest ensuring new employees aren’t left out and reviewing any differences between men’s and women’s evaluations, and interviews with successful businesswomen round things out. “We should no longer be satisfied,” the authors argue, “with seeing individual women break through barriers.” Instead, organizations should clear the way for women. This nuanced and comprehensive look at the gender gap hits as an impassioned cry for corporate leaders to make some serious changes. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

"This nuanced and comprehensive look at the gender gap hits as an impassioned cry for corporate leaders to make some serious changes." — Publisher's Weekly

Advance Praise for Glass Half-Broken:

"Many have lamented that the world of work is still full of obstacles for women, but few have been able to do anything about it. This book could finally make a dent: it's packed with evidence and enlivened with examples of how organizations can finally start making real progress on gender parity." — Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author, Think Again and Originals; host, TED podcast WorkLife

"This book is a call to action—for all of us. Business leaders, educators, women, and male allies will discover that the glass ceiling can be shattered if we get our day-to-day practices and our formal procedures right." — Iris Bohnet, Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School; author, What Works: Gender Equality by Design

"We need to transform norms at home and in the workplace that continue to reinforce gender bias and make it harder for women to reach their potential. Fortunately, this book offers tools for managers and leaders to do their part to create and sustain that change." — Commodore M. Jitendran, former Chairman and Managing Director, Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

"Glass Half-Broken is a must-read for every manager and leader. Packed with insightful research, coupled with real and raw stories, this book by Ammerman and Groysberg delves deep into the issues that cause women to lose out in the leadership race." — Maya Hari, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Twitter

"Ammerman and Groysberg provide a real service in terms of exposing the perceptions that still impede the progress of too many talented women at all stages of their careers. A must-read for those who either lead or aspire to lead organizations capable of competing and winning in the evolving business landscape of the twenty-first century." — Ken Frazier, Chairman and CEO, Merck

"Are you a leader wondering what you can do to create a more equitable working environment? Glass Half-Broken will give you a specific set of actions you can take today to build teams that are more innovative, productive, and fair." — Kim Scott, author, Radical Candor

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176362640
Publisher:	Ascent Audio
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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