“Glass Ceiling” and Career Progression: The Women

Bank Employees in Metro Manila

Anna Graziella Barreno*

Abstract

Merging human capital theory and social feminism as groundwork,

this research examines the perceptions of women bank employees about
the glass ceiling and its effects on career progression. The glass ceiling
is viewed by women as an invisible barrier that hinders and or delays
their career advancement because of gender discrimination. Data for
this study were obtained from two banks in Metro Manila through six
focus group discussions (FGD) and 10 key informant interviews (KII)
with an inclusion criteria. Women bank employees of at least 25 years
of age, either an officer or rank-and-file, and has spent at least five
years working for the target banks were considered for the study. The
significant findings include: (a) the subjects perceived that the glass
ceiling has been cracked with the appointment of women to top and
middle management positions; (b) women bank employees experience
gender stereotyping brought about by societal roles, which is influenced
by Filipino culture and practices; (c) due to societal roles assigned to
women, some experience a career plateau, struggles in navigating
new assignments and difficulties in getting a promotion; and (d)

*Anna Graziella J. Barreno is a graduate of the School of Labor and Industrial Relations. She obtained her
Diploma in Industrial Relations and Master of Industrial Relations degrees in 2013 and 2017 respectively.
Currently, she works for Thomson Reuters Pte. Ltd. – Philippine Branch as a Training Specialist. This paper
was presented in the International Labor and Employment Relations Association (ILERA) World Congress
in Seoul, South Korea last July 23-27, 2018. For more information on the study, inquiries can be sent at
annagraziella.barreno@gmail.com.

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

labor unions and the bank management should work together to

provide a more conducive working experience for women employees,
specifically their participation in vital decision-making.

Keywords: glass ceiling, women employees, career progression, banking

industry, organizational policies, statutory provisions, labor unions,
management

Research problem and significance of the study

Women have integrated themselves into the workforce and have significantly
contributed to the gross national product (GNP) in the Philippines; however,
society remains patriarchal and women tend to be highly concentrated in
administrative, secretarial and support functions and underrepresented
in managerial jobs. According to Metcalf and Rolfe (2009), occupational
concentration is evident in these positions in the finance industry. Women
are also confronted with difficulties in advancing in their careers, especially
in leadership roles, which require a more specific educational background
and experience. Thus, men are usually at the frontline in this aspect in
the workplace (Wirth, 2001; Bruton, 2013). It is for these reasons that the
phenomenology of the glass ceiling and career progression of women in the
banking industry were studied.
To better understand the glass ceiling in the Philippine context, the
following statements served as the blueprint of this study: 1) describe the
glass ceiling phenomenon based on women bank employees’ perspectives;
2) identify the challenges faced by women bank employees that relate
to the glass ceiling; 3) compare and contrast the career experiences of
women bank employees in non-government and government banks; and
4) explore the best practices and areas for improvement in managing
women bank employees in non-government and government banks.
Two theories served as groundwork for the study, namely social
feminism and human capital theories. Social feminism is concerned
with developing programs to improve working conditions of women in
society (Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2011). Social feminism
is a combination of Marxism and feminism and tackles inequality in
power, distribution and social patterns (Myers, 1997). Another basis for

2
 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

this study is the human capital theory, which explains that disparities in
professional success and monetary rewards depend on the human capital
investment in the form of educational attainment, specialized education
or enhancement of professional skills (Kaba, 2013).
The research looked into women bank employees’ experiences at
work, their domestic situations and their personal aspirations. The responses
of non-government and government bank employees were compared and
salient themes were derived based on FGDs and KII responses.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

CAREER PROGRESSION

PERCEPTION OF GLASS CEILING

Organizational
Factors
t
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t
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QPMJDJFT

(i.e., recruitment,
development plans,
promotions, etc.)

Women Women
Family Life
Government t
%PNFTUJDBDUJWJUJFT Non-
Bank Employee
t
'BNJMZ
BíBJST Government
Bank Employee

Individual
Professional
Development
t
6QHSBEJOH
PG
LOPXMFEHF
t
4LJMMT
EFWFMPQNFOU
t
3FMFWBOU
FYQFSJFODFT

3
Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

Research framework and methodology

This study, being descriptive and exploratory in nature, is

focused on explaining the attitude of women bank employees on the
glass ceiling and how it affects their career progression. The study also
compared the responses of women working in government and non-
government banks on the glass ceiling. The conceptual framework
illustrates how women bank employees’ attitude towards the glass
ceiling influence their career progression. It is for this reason that
organizational factors, family set-up and individual professional
development were taken into consideration since the interplay of
these would either accelerate or slow down their career growth.
Multiple FGDs were implemented as one of the methods used in
this study. Three groups with six to eight women employees from both
banks were considered in the study. The respondents were employed
by their respective organizations for at least five years and were at least
25 years of age, based on the inclusion criteria from the framework.
The FGD respondents were a mix of randomly selected rank-and-
file employees and officers, which provided diverse responses on the
phenomenology of the glass ceiling in their organizations. KIIs were
also conducted on four managers in both banks to supplement data
gathered from the group discussions. The participants were chosen
based on their tenure, position and knowledge of the topic. Apart
from supplementary data on the glass ceiling, both banks managers on
headcount management and manpower planning were interviewed for
their respective company’s promotion policies. These factors provided
the study more specificity in the occurrence of the glass ceiling since
the respondents belonged to the higher echelons of the organization
and could provide testimonies based on their experiences as they rose
from the ranks. Ten KIIs were conducted in both banks.

Findings and discussion

Seventeen respondents from Bank A were considered for the study,

of whom nine were single, seven married and one was a widow. All
respondents were college graduates and one had units in post-graduate

4
 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

studies. Fifty-three percent (n=9) of the respondents were in the

following units in the organization: Total Quality Management, Systems
Quality Management and Human Resources. The remaining 47 percent
(n=7) belonged to the following : Forex Stations, Top Management,
Project Management, Loans Adjustment, Risk Management, Financial
Control and Loans. Their monthly salaries were between PhP10,000-
PhP25,000, but others claimed their salaries were between P25,000
and PhP100,000. All (n=17) were regular employees who have been
with the company for an average of 14 years. Also, 82% (n=14) of the
respondents were non-labor union members.
Like Bank A, Bank B respondents (n=17) were also mostly single
(n=9). Five were married, one was a widow and one was separated.
All respondents (n=17) were college graduates and six had completed
post-graduate studies. Three respondents had also taken up units in
post-graduate studies. Forty-seven percent (n=8) of the respondents
were either in Human Resources or function as a Division Chief
for their respective business unit’s section. Other respondents were
from Change Management, Administrative and Marketing units.
Their monthly salaries were between PhP25,000 and PhP50,000, but
a couple of respondents earned from PhP10,000 to PhP25,000 and
PhP50,000 to PhP75,000. All respondents had a regular employment
status, had been with the company for an average of 17 years and were
mostly labor union members (n=13).

Glass Ceiling: its meaning through women bank employees’ perspective

The definition provided by most respondents was “invisible barrier.”

Others defined glass ceiling as “unequal ratio of men and women,”
“age and gender discrimination,” and “scrutiny on women.” Yolly,
an FGD respondent from Bank B, defined glass ceiling as a
challenge encountered by working mothers. Ms. B gave a more
comprehensive meaning that encompassed all the themes that
describe the glass ceiling.

5
Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

“[Glass ceiling is a] psychological term usually used in

organizations to mean the highest possible level that a person,
not necessarily women, [can] reach in an organization.”

Women have the competency to progress in their careers

provided they are given the resources and opportunities, and that
there will be no roadblocks to hinder their access to these. The
definitions provided by the respondents reiterate the claims of
Mendehall and Oddou (2000). The authors define glass ceiling as
an unseen barrier, usually portrayed as subtle and noticeable biases
ranging from personal to organizational. These biases hinder women
from advancing in their careers and going up the corporate ranks.
The existence of the “invisible barrier” is explained by Ms. L, an FGD
respondent from Bank A:

[Glass ceiling is] something you imagine, it’s there but

you know there is a limit you need to go beyond in your
current role.

Ms. S, another FGD participant from Bank A, provided more context

on Ms. L’s response:

It’s like an unseen barrier... Something that prevents you

from moving further [sic] because there is a ceiling. Parang
hanggang dito ka lang. [It’s like an unseen barrier.
Something that prevents you from moving up because
there is a ceiling. It’s like being stagnant.]

These explanations respondents are also in line with the response

of Bank B KII Respondent 11. Her concept of glass ceiling was:

Glass ceiling: Parang there is a certain limit dictated by the

society… that there is a certain level sa career ng mga babae na
hanggang dun lang yung pwede nila i-reach. Basically, paternal
ang society. Nagkaroon ng stereotype na ang babae hanggang
______________
1
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OBNFT
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SFTFBSDI
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XFSF
DPODFBMFE
UP
NBJOUBJO
SFTQPOEFOU
DPOðEFOUJBMJUZ
BOE
UP
FOTVSF

SJDI
BOE
EFUBJMFE
BDDPVOUT
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UIFJS
HMBTT
DFJMJOH
BOE
DBSFFS
QSPHSFTTJPO
FYQFSJFODFT

6
 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

dito lang. [Glass ceiling. It’s like having a certain limit

dictated by society… that there is a certain level in women’s
careers that they can only reach. Basically, our society
is paternal. This is caused by stereotyping women’s
[career] progression.]

These explanations support Macaraig’s (2004) claim that the

glass ceiling has become a hindrance to women’s careers and is caused
by the customs and traditions society has bestowed on women. These
practices inculcated in the Filipino culture also stem from the patterns
of behavior of the nuclear family, where men are “haligi ng tahanan”
or “pillar of the home” and women are expected to be the “ilaw ng
tahanan” or “light of the home.” However, women’s participation in the
workforce means decreased time from the household and increased
purchasing power for the family.
Another angle given by respondents is limitation in age and
gender. They said the glass ceiling is not necessarily experienced by
women alone; it can also be experienced by older employees or by racial,
ethnic or religious minorities and other genders seeking progression.
They also believe that men have more access to opportunities. Below
are some responses from the FGD and KII that support these claims:

“Population wise, mas maraming lalaki...pati yung

opportunity for them.” [“Population wise, there are
more men [in the workforce]… and there are more
opportunities for them.”] – KII Respondent 2 from Bank A1

“[Glass ceiling is] a psychological term usually used in

organizations to mean the highest possible level that a person,
not necessarily woman is able to reach in an organization.” –
KII Respondent 4 from Bank A1

“So yung glass ceiling, para siyang unofficial, parang

invisible barrier na hinders women or ibang minority groups
to climb up the corporate ladder.” [“Glass ceiling is like
an unofficial, invisible barrier that hinders women or
minority groups from climbing the corporate ladder.”] –

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

Lane, FGD respondent from Bank B

“Women are an example of those affected by the glass ceiling,

but it could be minorities as well.” – KII Respondent 3 from
Bank A1

“Context ko ‘nun is you put certain limitations in terms of age or

gender.” [“My understanding of it is that you put certain
limitations in terms of age or gender.”] – Ms. O, FGD
respondent from Bank A

These claims support Pai and Vaidya’s (2009) findings that

gender identity is responsible for the disparity of males and females
in organizations, most especially employees in top management.
The issue on age is also supported by Simpson and Altman (2000)
in Pai and Vaidya (2009), where they claim that the glass ceiling is
much felt by women over 35 years of age. According to Greenfield
(2015), older women may experience more discrimination than
older men because physical appearance matters a lot in women’s
employment. As for minorities being included in the glass ceiling
phenomenology, Castaneda (2008) affirms its existence is due to
their plight in organizations and their lack of representation in
corporate boardrooms.
Considering with these aspects, it can be deduced that age and
gender play vital roles in women’s participation in the labor market
and in their success in the corporate world. Cultural bias contributes
to discrimination among women. Young professionals are believed to
bring in more value to the organization through their technological
expertise, innovative ideas and appearance. On the other hand, the
older professionals who seek employment or career progression are
more likely to be turned down because of their increased healthcare
needs, heightened likelihood to be widowed and fewer years in the
workforce (Weinreb, 2011; Rikleen, 2016).

Individual professional development

Two themes arose from the analysis of the individual professional

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 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

development domain: job assignment and accessibility of

opportunities. Relating these to the social feminism and human
capital theory framework, women are assigned social roles because of
their gender.
There were instances when women bank employees experience
limitations on job assignments because of their gender, primarily for
safety and security reasons. This is in line with the findings of Zhao (n.d.)
and Wirth (2001) that social perception of male and female job capacity
plays a vital role in the assignments that would be given to them.
Another aspect of job assignment that can be looked into is the
appointment of women employees to different roles during their stay
in the bank. There were instances when women felt they lacked the
competency to take on the role, or were confined to jobs that the
bank classified as women-appropriate. Below is a testimony that
supports this finding:

Ms. M: “Some time last year, I was given a different role.

So it really wasn’t just recruitment but a bit of career
management. It’s something new but I felt that I didn’t have
enough competency, enough knowledge to do so. Now, I can
say na parang the challenges are still there but I learned to
adapt more. I was adaptable before, I was flexible before,
but now yung resilience ko parang mas kaya ko siya.”
[“Sometime last year, I was given something different.
It really wasn’t just recruitment but a bit of career
management. It is something new but I felt that I
didn’t have enough competency, enough knowledge
to do so. Now, I can say that even if the challenges
are there, I learned to adapt and be flexible. I now
have the resilience to do my new function.”]

Gender stereotyping contributes to the incidents experienced by

women bank employees. Due to observed differences between men and
women, negative stereotypes on women limit their opportunities.
A study conducted by Pavlova et al. (2014) noted that stereotyped
messages can influence performance. Men and women can perform
equally well if they are not given the notion of who the better gender

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

is. Wirth (2001) and Swoboda (1995) also affirm the explanations
acquired from the Philippine banks. They state that women tend to
be confined to a narrow range of occupations and have the tendency
to be clustered in service industries primarily because of the social
perception of women’s gender roles. These complications can be
attributed to organizations’ business processes such as recruitment
policies and corporate culture. While respondents claim female
dominance in their organizations and existing initiatives that are pro-
women, they still experience unseen societal barriers on gender roles
in the workplace. It cannot be denied that women are constantly under
the threat of stereotype and if women attempt to break this, they are
perceived as aggressive or bossy rather than as leaders (Pavlova, 2014).
Apart from limitations on job assignments, the accessibility
of job opportunities also varies between the banks. A factor that
contributes to the variations is the generation the respondents
belong to. The younger the members of the workforce, the more
skills need to be acquired to experience career progression. Older
members have acquired more professional skills given their work
experience throughout their working years. Also, older members
of the workforce have usually progressed in their careers, hence
making the career ladder narrower for them. From these findings,
it can be deduced that work experience can determine potential
opportunities for employees.
Having said these, the availability of opportunities can also be
associated with the age of employees. The younger workforce has a
variety of options in entry level positions, while options are limited for
those who are older due to tenure and scarcity of available positions
as they go up the corporate ranks (Greenfield, 2015).

Family life

Undeniably, family life can influence an employee’s activities in the

workplace, which employees of both agreed on. In the pursuit of gender
equality, there have been challenges and changes in men and women’s
roles in the family. Filipino families have shifted to a more egalitarian
approach, giving women an equal opportunity in decision-making and
division of labor due to their participation in the workforce (Marilao,

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 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

1992). Women have also started to move forward in their careers and
are seeking higher education for economic reasons (Pe-Pua, 2003).
To understand women bank employees’ challenges in this
circumstance, it would be practical to look into the themes that
emerged from the discussion. These are responsibilities with
family and financial considerations. According to Ozbilgin and
Pines (2007), family commitments influence occupational choices
and working practices, which will be supported by the succeeding
accounts from the respondents.
Work in the office is a stressful situation in itself. Juggling pressing
deadlines and important meetings, working one’s way and adapting to
different personalities in the workplace are enough responsibilities to
take on. In the case of women with families, especially mothers, dealing
with career responsibilities on a full-time basis and attending to the
family’s needs after a day’s work can be exhausting. Williams (2006)
confirmed that due to women employees’ commitment to their role
as mothers, they are unintentionally setting aside their work, which
results to inadequate work performance. However, even with the
challenges of motherhood and of the workplace, mothers weigh
actions and decisions regarding quitting for economic reasons.
Due to the responsibilities assigned by society on women to
care for children, there are instances when prioritization needs to be
done, i.e., attending to important responsibilities at work or taking a
leave to be present for the children. However, there were respondents
who claimed this predicament depends on the position of a woman
employee in the organization. Additionally, women also mentioned
that absenteeism for personal reasons, particularly the family, takes a
toll on their promotion. This finding is supported by Paringer (1983)
who declares that unscheduled work absences may translate to costs
on employers depending on the amount of work at any given day.
Paringer (1983) also proposes a solution to resolve absenteeism: to
penalize workers with high absenteeism by giving them less pay or
reducing their chances for promotions.
With women gaining educational advantage and career
opportunities, household responsibilities are then split between the
mother and the father. The amount of time a woman allots for her
duties as a mother is reduced, especially if she is taking on the role

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

of the breadwinner. There are also fathers who take on the role of
the “house husband” while their wives take on the responsibility of
providing for the family (Pe-Pua, 2003; Olah et al., 2014).
With the Philippines having closely-knit families, children are
expected to give back to their families, especially to their parents.
Once children have started working, they are expected to provide care
and assistance to younger siblings also as a way of giving back to their
parents. One of the respondents, Ms. H, shared:

My two siblings are still studying, so pag may event sila,

parent-teacher meeting, ako na umaattend. I still want to
have time for myself pero I make it a point na pagdating
sa kanila may mabibigay ako. Lalo na pag may nagkasakit
or kailangan dalhin sa ospital. [My two siblings are still
studying, so when they have parent-teacher meetings in
school, I am the one who attends. I still want to have
time for myself but I make it a point to have time for my
siblings, especially when one of them is sick or needs to
be brought to the hospital.]

This phenomenon is explained by Parreñas (2001). He says the

Filipino family is nuclear in structure and its members have a strong
sense of obligation to each other. This sense of solidarity with the
family extends, although to a lesser extent, to consanguineal, affineal
and fictive kin. In this sense, independent women bank employees
are still expected to support their families.
The demands placed by society on women are indeed a lot
and as a result, working women experience difficulties managing
their emotional well-being. Some respondents revealed there were
instances when pressure at work can sometimes be brought home,
especially if there were a lot of responsibilities to deal with.
According to Blithe (2015), there is a tendency for working
women to have a “second shift,” which involves household work
executed in addition to their paid employment. Blithe’s literature
revealed that women spend 41 hours a week on childrearing and
house work compared to men who only spend 21 hours on these
tasks. This duty can result to physical and emotional devastation

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 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

for working women. Women’s additional hours of unpaid work for

household chores reflect the gap between men and women’s time
spent on housework (Khazan, 2016). Apart from household chores,
childrearing is another unpaid work put upon working mothers.
These responsibilities are social roles dictated on women which can
be shared between men and women. With men and women sharing
responsibilities in the household, women would have more time and
opportunities to contribute economically. It is also an opportunity
for women to develop their skills for better career options in the
long run. Women bank employees also reported they have been
encountering financial issues. They carry the responsibility of
supporting the family’s needs, in addition to taking care of them.
Ms H, an FGD respondent from Bank A, shared her financial
responsibility with her family:

Ako kasi yung naiwan dito with my siblings (to work abroad)
so I have to be always available for them and for their needs.
I get support from my parents financially sa bahay, sa mga
gastusin. Pero ako mismo, I make it a point na I’m financially
available for emergency situations. I support myself while
I’m here (in Manila) tapos when I go home, dumadaan ako sa
grocery. I make sure na may kakainin yung mga kapatid ko
even before I leave Bulacan to go back to Makati. [My parents
left me with my siblings (to work abroad) so I have to be
always available for them and their needs. I get financial
support from my parents for expenses at home. However,
I make it a point that I am financially available for any
emergency situation. I support myself while I’m here
(in Manila) and when I go home, I do grocery shopping
for my siblings. I make sure they have something to eat
before I leave Bulacan to go back to Makati.]

This account is in conjunction with the closely-knit ties of

Filipinos and the culture of children giving back to their families once
they start working. As a result, they have to split their income between
their personal needs and their families.
It is in the Filipino culture to observe a debt of gratitude or

13
Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

utang na loob to one’s parents. Children are expected to be eternally

indebted to them for giving them life and providing for their needs
in their growing years. Utang na loob is a form of social control that
operates within the family and failure to conform results in feelings of
shame or hiya (Jackson, 2006). With women’s responsibilities to their
own families and having to take care of their parents during old age
is the concept of the sandwich generation. The sandwich generation
comprises individuals who support both their family and parents.
According to Vejbhumi’s study (2009) on sandwich generation, females
are more likely to physically care for their parents. The study also
found that sex is an important factor in caregiving, with women taking
on this role. This is due to the expectation on women to be in charge
of the welfare of the family (Vejbhumi, 2009). In this study, however,
the expectation on women is more on the financial aspect, rather than
on caregiving.
Meanwhile, at Bank B, the respondents shared their experiences
regarding salary limits due to a compensation structure that prescribes
a maximum salary depending on grade and position. The only way to
get higher compensation is to be promoted. A promotion in title also
means a promotion in salary grade. Ms. J articulated:

Ako since medyo matagal na dito, wala naman akong

na-eexperience na ganyan with regards [sic] to salary or
other benefit [sic]. Ang untog na sinasabi namin is salary
pero regardless of gender yun. Salary na loyalty or walang
promotion. Meron kasi sa amin na pay grade. Mayroon
limit yun na hanggang doon lang ang salary mo. Kunwari,
kapag PhP 20,000, hindi ka na mag-iincrease kasi yun na
ang ceiling unless ma-promote ka. [Since I have worked for
a number of years already here, I haven’t experienced
any problem with regard to salary or other benefits. The
“ceiling” we’ve been talking about is the salary grade
in government agencies, which is applicable to anyone
working for the government regardless of gender. You’re
staying [in the organization] because of loyalty even
without promotion. For example, if you are earning PhP
20,000, your salary will not increase because that’s the

14
 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

“ceiling” for your salary grade, unless you get promoted.]

Ms. A provided more substance regarding the government

organization’s pay scheme. She mentioned that government
organizations follow a compensation matrix, unlike in private
organizations where the basis of compensation is performance.

Iba sa government, iba sa private. Yung sa government,

mandated yun. It’s in our law na mayroong matrix na
sinusunod unlike sa private, which is yung pinanggalingan ko.
Sa private companies, call nung mga tao na magmanage kung
ibibigay nila or not. They will bargain [sic] with you. [The pay
scheme in government organizations is different from
that of the private sector. In the government, a matrix
is followed as mandated by law. Whereas in private
organizations, the pay depends on the bosses’ decision
and they can decide if they will be giving pay increases or
not. They can negotiate with their employees.]

In February 2016, Executive Order No. 201 was issued to

standardize the pay scheme for government personnel. Some of the
changes were raising the minimum salary for Salary Grade 1 and
minimizing the difference to at least 70 percent of the median to bring it
closer to their private counterparts (in http://www.gov.ph/2016/02/19/
executive-order-no-201-s-2016/). However, government employees
still receive lower salaries compared to their private counterparts.
Women employees in Bank B are also paid more than women
employees in Bank A. However, comparing their average years of
service, Bank B women employees have also earned the amount
LBP women employees are receiving through the number of years in
service and their work experience.

Organizational factors

The organization employees belong to can have an impact on their

activities due to the kind of culture they participate in and people they
interact with. Organizational culture is created by its people and is

15
Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

dependent on the values and goals employees prioritize. It also acts

as an unspoken language through norms and behaviors they operate
on. Work culture is the heart of every organization because it
serves as a guide for employees on how to think, feel, value and
act through socially shared ideas, beliefs and meanings (Alvesson,
2013). Oftentimes, little attention is given to work culture, but it is
important that this aspect is examined, because it also contributes
to workplace performance.
The demand for better-skilled employees has been an ongoing
trend for 50 years. Before, manual dexterity and physical strength were
the basis for employment, at par with acceptable standards of living.
As the years rolled by, employment shifted preference to jobs that
require verbal, mathematical, organizational and interpersonal skills.
With innovation came the emerging technologies and globalization,
which paved the demand for technical skills (in https://www.dol.
gov/dol/aboutdol/history/herman/reports/futurework/report/pdf/
ch7.pdf). It is of utmost importance to be up-to-date in terms of
skills to become more sought-after and valuable in an organization.
One of the challenges women face is the need to exhibit promising
qualifications as evidenced by a response from Ms. O, an FGD
respondent from Bank A:

Women should be extraordinarily intelligent, or

extraordinarily innovative or creative.

Women are also assigned to certain jobs because of their

perceived qualities. Tin, an FGD respondent from Bank A shared
her personal experience:

Sabi sa akin ng boss ko, mas okay nga daw na puro kami girls
kasi documentation kami sa policies and manuals. So [kapag]
lalaki daw lahat ng tauhan niya o staff, baka daw lahat mag-
resign kasi nga boring daw yung work namin kasi lahat papel,
basa. [My boss said it is better to have an all-women team
because we are primarily dealing with documentation
of policies and manuals. He also said that if his staff
members were all men, they might resign because of the

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 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

tedious paperwork we are doing.]

Management perceives and expects women to possess skills

such as attention to detail and organization. This is in line with
Baridon and Eyler’s study (1994), some of the jobs that women
are confined to are clerical and administrative. Swoboda’s study
(1995) also supports this finding because women workers have the
tendency to be clustered in the service industry due to society’s
perception of gender roles.
Meanwhile, there were no reported issues in terms of Bank B
respondents’ placement in their current positions since the banks has
policies covering employees’ career advancement.
Apart from the qualification standards set, other factors
considered in career advancement were behavior, readiness for the
next role, on-the-job experience and the organization’s budget. Bank
A also considers the credit standing of employees to be promoted.
Supervisors of women bank employees are another consideration
in career progression. This theme emerged when the respondents
were probed regarding their experiences working with male and
female bosses. Respondents said there were differences in working
with the two gender groups. They said women were more emotional
and attentive to details, whereas men were more straightforward
and output-oriented. They also said their immediate supervisors
had preferences when it came to choosing direct reports. Men were
usually favored because they were less emotional. Meanwhile, women
were preferred when the nature of the job and the skills required were
in line with their perceived special “talents” such as greater dexterity,
nimbleness and great attention to detail (Clement and Shalla, 2007).
With these differences in behavior, job segregation and differences
in socioeconomic opportunities happen in the workforce (Bose and
Spitze, 1987). This segregation and preference for men or women lead
back to the human capital theory, where men and women are assigned
roles based on the skills perceived by society.

Gender discrimination in the banking industry

Based on the testimonies of women bank employees, gender

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

stereotyping exists both in both banks. Due to the culture of banks

where men are in the front line and with the social roles assigned to
men and women, role segregation happens unnoticeably. This can
be explained by society being accustomed to assigning roles on the
basis of gender (Estlund, 2003). A situation that can support this is
a response from Bank B that women are expected to be physically
attractive, especially during training facilitation. Ms. J, a respondent
from Bank B, provided context on this claim:

Kasi sa training sa amin, di ba parang in general, you don’t

want your trainers or anyone na haharap sa tao na hindi
maayos yung hitsura. So you don’t want parang ikaw yung
from the operations tapos especially for the field, you don’t
want someone na bibigyan ka ng trabaho tapos sobrang
unpleasant yung hitsura niya. For example nag-eevaluate
ng speakers kasi nag-speak naman kami sometimes. Mas
madami yung comments na ganoon, pag female yung
speakers. Kasi pag male yung speakers, syempre hindi naman
sa parang tanggap na ay di masyadong attractive si kuya or
tama lang. It’s something [attire] that participants notice.
Pero pag babae yung speaker tapos hindi talaga siya masyado
pleasant, or hindi masyado maganda, or mapapansin yung
sapatos, mapapansin yung clothes. Ganoon. [In training, you
wouldn’t want your trainers to look unpleasant. Having
worked for operations, especially on field, you wouldn’t
want to see anyone unpleasant. There are instances when
we roll out training courses and we get evaluated. We
get a lot of comments on female trainers. Participants
are okay with male trainers who are not too physically
attractive. Whereas for female trainers who do not look
pleasant and are not physically attractive, participants
will notice the clothes and shoes they are wearing. The
overall look is something that the participants notice.]

Meanwhile, in Bank A, there were no reported male and female

preferences in terms of task assignments. They also said that they do not
see gender as a hindrance in pursuing higher positions and positions

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 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

previously held by men. Below is a statement that supports this:

Ms. O: Positions previously occupied by a male can be occupied

by a female and vice versa. Wala pa lang siguro sa history ng
Bank B na babaeng president, but a sister bank is headed by a
lady president. [Positions previously occupied by a male
can be occupied by a female and vice versa. Although
there has not been a female president in the history of
Bank A, sister bank is headed by a lady president.]

These variations are due to the differences in how the public

and private sectors operate. Rainey et. al. (1976) in Baarspul (2009)
attests to the differences in these sectors in management, motivation,
objectives and planning. Although there were respondents who
confirmed the existence of the glass ceiling, there were some who
claimed it does not exist. These differences in responses were brought
about by their unique experiences and background which influence
the way they viewed situations in the workplace.

Career progression

On the aspect of career progression, promotion, training opportunities,

career pathing and career challenges were the themes that surfaced
during the discussion. Promotion is treated differently in both banks.
At Bank A, employees experience difficulty in getting a promotion
even if they have been given notice that they are already promotable.
Below is a testimony from an FGD respondent:
Ms. K: This year lang din… nasabihan ako ng boss ko and na-
inform ako regarding my promotion for level B. Pero until now,
natapos na yung date… nagre-review na ako… wala pa din
yung level B na exam. So parang minsan napapaisip din ako,
“Meron bang years para sa ganito based dun sa observation
sa ibang staff na kasama ko and sa mga dating staff dun sa
department ko… parang nine years or seven years bago sila
naging officers.” [This year, I was informed by my boss of
my promotion to Level B. However, until now, I haven’t
received any notification to take the level B exam and

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

the testing date has already passed. Sometimes, I can’t

help but think, “Is there a number of years needed for
promotion?” In my observation of other staff members
I work with and with previous staff members in our
department, it takes nine or seven years before they
become officers.]

Bank A’s promotion policies are metrics-based and heavily

reliant on merits. However, the key informant on promotion
policies, refuted this claim. Apart from the merits, other factors
affect the decision to promote employees such as tenure, experience,
readiness for the next position, on-the-job experience, budget and
credit standing.
At Bank B, age is a factor in progression. Older employees seem
to be satisfied with their careers and are more focused on their families.
However, age as a factor in progression may only be a perception since
qualifications and assessment of the recommending authority are the
primary determinants in career progression. Respondents from Bank
B also mentioned that career progression is for the younger members
of the workforce. This is supported by the following discussion:

Ms. L: Yung career progression para talaga sa mga bata,

kasi mga bago pa sila. [Career progression is really for
the young professionals because they are still new in
the workplace.]

Ms Y.: Kasi syempre kapag matagal ka na di ba at least

parang na-reach mo na yung gusto mo. [When you have
stayed long enough in the organization, you have, at
least, reached what you want in your career.]

Ms. L: Kaya nag-aantay ka na lang din ng magandang

retirement. Usually naman, ganun naman talaga, di ba. Yung
mga 60 na yung goals [sic] natin ay (to relax). [That’s why
I’m just waiting for an attractive retirement package.
Usually, this is how it goes for older employees. Those

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 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

who are 60 years of age, their goal is just to relax.]

To address the slow pace of employee progression, job rotation is

offered to employees as an option when career plateau is experienced.
Training is vital to an individual’s professional growth, as well
as an organization’s. Both banks have provisions for training and
employees are given the liberty to choose courses that would be
advantageous in their current roles. At Bank A, premium is given to
high-performing and well-trained employees while graduate studies
and certification programs are encouraged for Bank B employees.
When it comes to career pathing, both banks’ employees have programs
that support their employees training and development, regardless
of the employees’ gender. However, in terms of support provisions,
Bank B is more employee-friendly. Apart from opportunities for
employee transfers, rewards are also given to those who complete
post-graduate studies. Incentivizing the pursuit to accelerate one’s
career is beneficial as incentives have a high impact on performance
and behavior (Zoltners et. al., 2006).
Experiencing roadblocks in one’s career is inevitable. Respondents
shared the challenges in navigating new assignments, promotions and
career plateau. Some respondents from Bank A attested to experiencing
career plateau and have been in their position for four or more years.
According to Gust (2006), women miss out on promotions because
of occupational and industry segregation, gender stereotyping on
occupations, less investment on women to qualify them for positions,
balancing energies between work and household demands and
preferential treatment for men. There were also respondents who attested
to having low self-assessed competencies once they get expanded roles.
Bank B respondents, meanwhile, also have challenges in workload
distribution and promotion. Women are usually given workloads that
are more than what their position requires of them but not get paid
correspondingly. Clearly, promotion is an aspect of employment that
needs to be reviewed by both banks, but they are on the different sides
of the spectrum on this matter.

Providing better working experience for women bank employees

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

There are efforts to address the stereotypes that bar women in certain
jobs from career advancement (Wasbeek, 2004). In both banks, the
unions, management and the women themselves are influential
in providing a better working experience for women. Unions act
as representatives of rank-and-file employees and serve as the
spokesperson to the management. Negotiations by unions with
the management, however, are solely for collective bargaining
agreements (CBA) and not so much on the escalation of work-
related issues and gender sensitive programs.
The management of both banks also implement benefits
prescribed by law. However, Bank B takes it a step further by promoting
women’s rights through the inclusion of medical procedures, wellness
activities and leave credits for women employees. Meanwhile, Bank
A management has rolled out flexibility in work schedules and
work from home options so women can tend to their domestic
responsibilities. The two banks have their own set of benefits but
are incomparable as each has a different set of priorities, values,
culture and population composition.
With society becoming more egalitarian between men and
women on the decision-making process, women employees are
starting to step up in terms of raising work-related concerns and
discussing matters that concern their jobs. An open door policy is
observed in both banks. However, respondents from both banks testify
that there are still areas for improvement in terms of communication
in the workplace. For Bank B, top down communication is good but
the bottom up communication needs to be refined. The respondents’
impression is that management is unaware of the concerns of the
lower ranks in the organization. Bank A respondents said while they
get an opportunity to be a part of the solution, the method used to
gather their point of views can be limiting as it is done only through
employee surveys. They said investing time and personal interaction
to address issues are aspects that can be further improved.

Summary, conclusion, and recommendation

Glass ceiling, a Western terminology, is a phenomenon experienced by

22
 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

women that hinders them from advancing in their jobs. In this study,
most respondents from both banks, regardless of position, claim the
glass ceiling does not exist. However, women respondents claim
that they are expected to take on the feminine roles because
it is what the Filipino culture expects of them. Women have
been integrating themselves in the workplace by assuming
men’s roles and responsibilities. Women are even appointed to
management positions.
The banking industry is perceived to be a man’s world because
it is income-generating and client-facing. Relating this to the smallest
unit of society, in the family, men are expected to be the decision-
makers and to provide for their families. Similarly, in the banking
industry, it is mostly men who are front liners and leaders, leaving
fewer opportunities for women. Wirth’s (2001) study reveals that
female representation in the financial industry may be a challenge
as the work in this line of business requires a specific educational
background and experience which men usually have because they are
the front liners in this industry.
From this research, it can be deduced that the glass ceiling has
been broken in both banks because there have been appointments of
women to top management. The banks are women-dominated and
have had female presidents. Bank B also has a 66-34 percent population
breakdown, with women as the dominant gender.
While both banks have surpassed the challenge of placing
women on the top of the organizational hierarchy, gender is still
taken into consideration in women’s job assignments. Because of their
perceived roles, women are assigned to jobs which are perceived as
women-appropriate even if in this day and age, the Filipino working
culture has become more gender sensitive and egalitarian.
The glass ceiling affects women in many aspects. Women
bank employees’ professional development, family life and the
organization they belong to influence how they are viewed in
their respective jobs and how the glass ceiling works in their
lives. While some women bank employees disprove the existence
of the glass ceiling, the way women are perceived can be brought
about by unconscious bias due to societal roles. This contributes
to the perception that their attention is divided between work

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

and their personal lives, hence contributing to difficulties in

career progression.
Support for women in the workforce is provided by labor unions
and the management in both government and non-government banks.
However, labor unions and management need to be more unified in
their strategies to provide better work experiences for the workers,
regardless of gender, rather than operating as independent bodies.
They also need to increase gender awareness and responsiveness since
unions are generally still gender-blind or man-oriented.
In order to provide women a satisfying work experience, this
study recommends the following:

• Provision of development plans for progression opportunities.

Women may experience a plateau at some point in their careers
due to task confinement brought about by 1) women’s perceived
roles in the society and 2) women’s reproductive role in nuclear
families. Given these challenges, development plans are an
imperative in their careers. They should also be equipped with
relevant skills that will keep them abreast in the labor market.
Development plans are instruments that can also be used by
employers to aid career progression. Women can be provided
with training opportunities and career experiences that relate to
their skills and tie this up with trends in the labor market. This
way, they can prepare themselves for the evolving workforce and
make career progress.

• Improved transparency on employment and promotion

opportunities. Both banks have employment and promotion
policies in place which are reviewed once or twice a year,
depending on the need. Metrics, performance appraisals
and 360-degree feedback from colleagues should be made
transparent to employees to provide them with a better
picture of their performance. The social roles assigned to
women should be disregarded to allow a more objective
approach in decision-making on the following aspects: hiring,
job assignments, job rotations, employee-initiated transfers

24
 Barreno: “Glass ceiling” and career progression: The women bank employees in Metro Manila

and promotion.

• Amendments on organizational policies. The standard eight-

to-five job schedule in the workplace might no longer be as
applicable as it used to be due to the changes on how the
workforce operates in the recent years. When women started to
integrate themselves as part of the workforce, they still pursued
their regular duties as primary caregivers in their respective
homes. As a support provision to the complicated situation of
women, reliable organizational policies pertaining to flex time
and benefits that cater to women’s welfare can be crafted and
eventually implemented. While there are existing policies for
these in the workplace, these might need to be reviewed since
these only provide women a leeway for a schedule that would
allow them to meet their responsibilities at home, but does not
really address the flexibility of working arrangements.

• Strengthening collaboration between labor unions and

management. While labor unions are existent in both government
and non-government banks, it is necessary to strengthen their
ties with the management. Unions and management may operate
as separate bodies in terms of identifying ways and means to
provide better working experiences for women. However, they
should unify their decisions to come up with reasonable benefits
favorable both to the employers and the employees.

• Increased awareness on and enforcement of statutory policies

pertaining to women in the community. While there are a number
of laws that cater to women’s rights and welfare, implementation
in the community remains a challenge. It is on the aspect of
enforcement that it falls short. Women must also be made
aware and reminded of their rights and privileges by utilizing
different channels of information dissemination, such as the
mass media and the social media. Law-enforcing bodies should
also be vigilant in ensuring that organizations comply with the

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Philippine Journal of Labor and Industrial Relations

statutory policies for women and that the community observes

the provisions that protect women.

• Accessibility to affordable and quality day care centers. Generally,

working mothers experience challenges in alter-casting roles as
caregivers for their children and attending to their full-time jobs.
This situation can contribute to absenteeism and eventually to
poor performance. While the establishment of day care centers
is already a requirement in some government organizations, it
would greatly assist working mothers in the private sector to have
access to affordable and quality day care centers. Not only will it
provide them extra hands to cope with their responsibilities, it
will also contribute to increased productivity and performance
in the workplace.

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