GLASS CEILING AND ITS IMPACTS ON WOMEN'S CAREER DEVELOPMENT: PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL AS A MEDIATOR

Abstract

This study investigates how the glass ceiling shapes the career development of women in the private banking sector of Sri Lanka’s Matale District. It looks at three types of barriers: individual, organizational, and social, and examines whether Psychological Capital helps women face these barriers and move upward in their careers. The target population consisted of all female executive-level employees in selected private banks in the district. From this, a sample of 120 participants was selected using a purposive sampling method, focusing on women most likely to experience glass ceiling effects. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and STATA software to conduct multiple regression and mediation analysis. Personal strengths, such as confidence, skills focus, and career drive, showed a clear, positive link with women’s career development; the hypothesis on individual factors was supported. Social support encouragement from family, peers, and wider community norms also helped women advance; this hypothesis was supported. In contrast, the expected effect of organizational systems (policies, promotion rules, formal training) did not show a meaningful link to career progress in this sample; the organizational-factors hypothesis was rejected, suggesting that written policies are not enough when everyday practice does not change. Psychological Capital mattered. It helped explain how individual drive and social backing translate into career growth, so those mediation hypotheses were accepted. But it did not carry the influence of organizational structures, which led to the rejection of that mediation path, evidence that policies alone do not build inner strength unless they are lived and trusted. To break the glass ceiling, banks must pair real policy action with programs that build women’s psychological resources and connect them to supportive networks, mentoring, coaching, family-inclusive outreach, and leadership pathways that women experience in daily work. It offers practical recommendations for HR professionals and bank leaders to promote training, mentoring, and psychological empowerment as tools to support women’s advancement.