A maze of metaphors around glass ceilings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review many of the diverse metaphors and labels that are used to highlight insights into glass ceilings – the obstacles hindering women reaching the top levels of organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The development of metaphors and labels related to theories about the causes and consequences of glass ceilings are discussed. They are classified according to whether or not they infer women play a role in creating glass ceilings. Findings – It is concluded that most metaphor-linked explanations focus on discrimination and prejudice towards women seeking leadership positions. A small number of metaphors target characteristics of women as causes for the gender inequality in leadership and upper management. Practical implications – Even though there is a plethora of metaphors highlighting obstacles and prejudice against women leaders and several metaphors have been part of the popular lexicon for at least three decades, metaphors do not appear to have greatly helped to quicken the dismantling of glass ceilings

Romosozumab (sclerostin monoclonal antibody) versus teriparatide in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis transitioning from oral bisphosphonate therapy : a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial

Background: Previous bisphosphonate treatment attenuates the bone-forming effect of teriparatide. We compared the effects of 12 months of romosozumab (AMG 785), a sclerostin monoclonal antibody, versus teriparatide on bone mineral density (BMD) in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis transitioning from bisphosphonate therapy. Methods: This randomised, phase 3, open-label, active-controlled study was done at 46 sites in North America, Latin America, and Europe. We enrolled women (aged >= 55 to <= 90 years) with postmenopausal osteoporosis who had taken an oral bisphosphonate for at least 3 years before screening and alendronate the year before screening; an areal BMD T score of -2.5 or lower at the total hip, femoral neck, or lumbar spine; and a history of fracture. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via an interactive voice response system to receive subcutaneous romosozumab (210 mg once monthly) or subcutaneous teriparatide (20 mu g once daily). The primary endpoint was percentage change from baseline in areal BMD by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the total hip through month 12 (mean of months 6 and 12), which used a linear mixed effects model for repeated measures and represented the mean treatment effect at months 6 and 12. All randomised patients with a baseline measurement and at least one post-baseline measurement were included in the efficacy analysis. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01796301. Findings: Between Jan 31, 2013, and April 29, 2014, 436 patients were randomly assigned to romosozumab (n=218) or teriparatide (n=218). 206 patients in the romosozumab group and 209 in the teriparatide group were included in the primary efficacy analysis. Through 12 months, the mean percentage change from baseline in total hip areal BMD was 2.6% (95% CI 2.2 to 3.0) in the romosozumab group and -0.6% (-1.0 to -0.2) in the teriparatide group; difference 3.2% (95% CI 2.7 to 3.8; p<0.0001). The frequency of adverse events was generally balanced between treatment groups. The most frequently reported adverse events were nasopharyngitis (28 [13%] of 218 in the romosozumab group vs 22 [10%] of 214 in the teriparatide group), hypercalcaemia (two [<1%] vs 22 [10%]), and arthralgia (22 [10%] vs 13 [6%]). Serious adverse events were reported in 17 (8%) patients on romosozumab and in 23 (11%) on teriparatide; none were judged treatment related. There were six (3%) patients in the romosozumab group compared with 12 (6%) in the teriparatide group with adverse events leading to investigational product withdrawal. Interpretation: Transition to a bone-forming agent is common practice in patients treated with bisphosphonates, such as those who fracture while on therapy. In such patients, romosozumab led to gains in hip BMD that were not observed with teriparatide. These data could inform clinical decisions for patients at high risk of fracture

Thinking about going to the dentist: a Contemplation Ladder to assess dentally-avoidant individuals' readiness to go to a dentist

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Transtheoretical Model suggests that individuals vary according to their readiness to change behavior. Previous work in smoking cessation and other health areas suggests that interventions are more successful when they are tailored to an individual's stage of change with regards to the specific behavior. We report on the performance of a single-item measure ("Ladder") to assess the readiness to change dental-avoidant behavior.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An existing Contemplation Ladder for assessing stage of change in smoking cessation was modified to assess readiness to go to a dentist. The resulting Ladder was administered to samples of English-speaking adolescents (USA), Spanish-speaking adults (USA), and Norwegian military recruits (Norway) in order to assess construct validity. The Ladder was also administered to a sample of English-speaking avoidant adolescents and young adults who were enrolled in an intervention study (USA) in order to assess criterion validity. All participants also had dental examinations, and completed other questionnaires. Correlations, chi square, t tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to assess relationships between variables.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In two samples, participants who do not go to the dentist had significantly more teeth with caries; in a third sample, participants who do not go to the dentist had significantly worse caries. Ladder scores were not significantly related to age, gender, caries, or dental fear. However, Ladder scores were significantly related to statements of intention to visit a dentist in the future and the importance of oral health. In a preliminary finding, Ladder scores at baseline also predicted whether or not the participants decided to go to a dentist in the intervention sample.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data provide support for the convergent and divergent construct validity of the Ladder, and preliminary support for its criterion validity. The lack of relationship between dental fear and Ladder scores suggests that avoidant individuals may be helped to decide to go to a dentist using interventions which do not explicitly target their fear.</p

Measuring optimism in organizations: development of a workplace explanatory style questionnaire

Some researchers measure optimism by analysing explanations for hypotheti- cal scenarios in explanatory style questionnaires. The most commonly used instrument, the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), has been shown to predict success in business, education and sport. However, these predictions were achieved by using composite scores of subscales. Our analysis of 15 measures revealed the ASQ and many other explanatory style questionnaires have low internal consistency. Furthermore, the majority of these measures use situations that have poor face validity for corporate applications, while some work-specific scenarios are only relevant to narrow domains such as selling insurance. To fulfil the need for a work-related explanatory style measure that could assess levels of optimism in any organizational setting, we developed the Workplace Explanations Survey (WES). This 5-factor measure was tested on a sample of 341 individuals working in a range of organizations and it has good internal consistency. We anticipate the WES will stimulate research into workplace optimism and provide clearer insights for optimism training, thus boosting both individual and organizational success

Thoughtful feeling and feelingful thinking - an evolutionary step

The aim of this thesis is to establish that, in the history of human thought on emotion, a gradual development has been taking place that reflects the ways in which our emotional processes have been changing, and gives us an indication of the ways in which they may yet change. Within this general aim, the claim is made and substantiated that certain perspectives on emotion can be abstracted from the many theories put forward in the history of western thought. These perspectives are yielded by the different ways in which emotions have been conceptually related to cognitive processes, physiological processes, ethical concepts, motivation and creativity - that is, by the ways in which past thinkers have related the personal experience of feelings to physiological states, to ways of thinking, to the practice of morality, to our reasons for acting, and to the creative process in its many forms. A further supported claim is made that psychological theories of emotion emerging in modern times were developed in a scientific and/or psychotherapeutic context. However, they too could be scrutinised within the framework of the perspectives that emerged from philosophical backgrounds. They can also be seen to establish new levels of awareness of the development of emotional processes, most particularly in the work of Sigmund Freud and George Kelly. The claims are also made and supported, that within Freud\u27s Theory of the Instincts there exists a more complex, cognitively based theory of emotions, and that within Kelly\u27s Theory of Personal Constructs there exists a theory of emotions that posits the closest relationship between thinking and feeling yet conceived. It is argued that a more satisfactory use can be made of Kelly\u27s process of construing if it is preceded by a personal analysis of emotions based on Freud\u27s theory. That is, I have argued that Kelly\u27s process of construing involves both feeling and thinking as a rational process, and that a personal awareness of the ways in which we feel and structure our feelings (such awareness being assisted by the knowledge yielded by Freud\u27s work) is important to the development of the construing process in each of us. A brief description of a technique of emotion analysis based on aspects of Freud\u27s psychoanalytic technique is presented in the final chapter, with an account of how the emotional awareness gained thereby contributes more fully to the construing process. An illustration of this process is given in Appendix I

Measuring women\u27s beliefs about glass ceilings: development of the career pathways survey

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to develop a new measure called the Career Pathways Survey (CPS) which allows quantitative comparisons of women\u27s beliefs about glass ceilings. Design/methodology/approach - A 34-item version of the CPS was completed by 243 women from all levels of management, mostly in Australia. An expanded 38-item CPS was administered to another sample of women (N = 307). Findings - Analyses of data from both studies yielded a four factor model of attitudes to glass ceilings: resilience, acceptance, resignation and denial. The factors demonstrated good internal consistency. Practical implications - The CPS allows a comparison of positive attitudes towards seeking promotions via resilience and denial scores, and provides feedback on negative attitudes towards seeking promotions via resignation and acceptance scores. Social implications - This new measure can be recommended for studies of women\u27s and men\u27s attitudes towards gender inequality in organizational leadership. It could play a role in identifying sexist cultures in organizations. Originality/value - Due to the scarcity of measures of glass ceiling beliefs, this study makes a major contribution to the literature on women’s beliefs about barriers to career advancement. Keywords - Glass ceilings, Measures, Women\u27s beliefs, Resilience, Denial, Acceptance, Resignation, Australi

How are women\u27s glass ceiling beliefs related to career success?

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test the concurrent criterion validity of a new measure, the Career Pathways Survey (CPS) by exploring how women’s glass ceiling beliefs are related to five major indicators of subjective career success: career satisfaction, happiness, psychological wellbeing, physical health and work engagement (WE). Design/methodology/approach – Data from a cross-sectional study of 258 women working in Australian organizations were analyzed. The participants completed the CPS and measures of subjective career success. The CPS assesses four sets of beliefs about glass ceilings: denial, resilience, acceptance and resignation. Findings – Regression analyses showed denial was positively associated with career satisfaction and WE; resignation was negatively related to happiness and both emotional and physical wellbeing; resilience had positive relationships with happiness and WE; acceptance was negatively related to WE. The findings provide support for the hypotheses and the concurrent validity of the CPS. Research limitations/implications – Given the study uses a cross-sectional design, causal directions found between variables are inferences. Further research with longitudinal and experimental studies is needed to provide support for these inferences. Practical implications – Training programs to analyze glass ceiling beliefs after testing with the CPS may be a beneficial strategy to help women identify reasons for their career goals. Feedback from CPS testing might facilitate greater awareness of the causes of women’s subjective success in organizations. Originality/value – The paper is the first to shed light on the connections between these success variables and women’s beliefs about glass ceilings

The self-characterization technique: Uses, analysis and elaboration

The self-characterization, also known as the character sketch, is a technique within Personal Construct Therapy that aims primarily to tap directly into the client\u27s personal construction system, that is, the ways in which the client understands and interprets himself or herself (Kelly, 1991, Vol. 1, p. 243). It is a brief, written exercise asking the client to write about himself or herself in a way that may be utilized at some time during therapy. This time can range from before therapy begins to any particular point in the process that the therapist feels would be useful. The client may choose to write the self-characterization during a session or treat it as homework so he or she has more time to think about it. Kelly originally presents the self-characterization, or character sketch, as an elaboration of clinical methodology since our theory was designed primarily with the area of clinical psychology as its focus of convenience (Kelly, 1991, Vol. I, p. 239) and as an extension of the credulous approach (Kelly, 1991, p. 241). It was used by Kelly as a means of identifying how a person structures their world, how they see themselves within this world and finally how they handle their world (Bannister and Fransella, 1986)