Abstract

Despite the worldwide policy reforms, women remain underrepresented in senior management roles and face constant discrimination and barriers in their professional careers. The present study attempts to understand the glass ceiling issue that prevents many talented women from advancing in their career trajectories. Recognizing that the issue of gender equality is imperative for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the eighty-six research articles published from 2000 to 2023 and indexed in the Web of Science database. The review aims to understand the evolution of the research on the subject, gain deeper insights into the characteristics of past studies, identify potential themes, and develop future research agendas. Using the SALSA (search, appraisal, synthesis, and analysis) methodology, this article examines previous studies’ focal concepts, categories, and themes to provide a detailed understanding of the glass ceiling phenomenon. The analysis finds that the literature is inundated with multiple metaphors. Furthermore, there is a dominance of quantitative research methodologies to discern the complex issue of the glass ceiling at the workplace. Within this, the bulk of the published work is focused on identifying the barriers to the career success of women in the context of high-income countries. By connecting the fragmented literature, the present study identifies key research problems and gaps, contributing to the body of knowledge and advancing the debate on gender equality in the corporate environment. Furthermore, the findings of this study are important for policymakers, government, organizations, management, and society at large for bridging the persistent gender gaps and promoting holistic and sustainable development.