A phenomenological study of barriers for women in federal law enforcement

In 1997, the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission defined the glass ceiling as invisible or artificial barriers preventing women from advancing past a certain level in the workplace. The current study examined the glass ceiling effect on the advancement of women into positions of leadership in federal law enforcement. To enhance the overall performance of federal law enforcement agencies, identifying glass ceiling barriers affecting the career potential of women leaders is significant. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify themes and patterns shared among the lived experiences of 10 men and 10 women first-line supervisors and middle level managers in federal law enforcement to identify factors creating the glass ceiling impeding women from progressing into middle management positions. This study involved a unique examination of the barriers, which create the glass ceiling in federal law enforcement by exploring the lived experiences of female as well as male first-line supervisors and middle level managers. The male and female participants concurred; barriers impede the career progression of females in federal law enforcement. This study revealed the following barriers contributing to a low number of female middle level managers in federal law enforcement: (a) Refusal of males to accept females, (b) Gender stereotyping, (c) Gender bias, and (d) Good old boy network