The ceiling effect is a metaphor that refers to the creation of an invisible, artificial barrier designed to prevent certain qualified individuals—especially women—from advancing to certain positions within an organization.

Ceiling effect: ceiling effect

The ceiling effect refers to the phenomenon in which test items are too easy, resulting in generally high scores across most individuals.

The term "glass ceiling" first appeared in the March 24, 1986, edition of the Wall Street Journal’s “Women in Business” column, where it was used to describe the barriers women face when trying to advance to senior positions in corporations or organizations.

The “glass ceiling effect” was first introduced in a 1987 article by Morrison and others, titled “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the Top of America’s Largest Corporations?” One year later, Marilyn Davidson and Gary Cooper also addressed this issue in their book, “Shattering the Glass Ceiling.”
 
The fundamental meaning of the “glass ceiling” is that women or members of minority groups are unable to advance to senior positions in companies or organizations not because they lack the necessary skills or experience, or because they don’t desire those positions. Rather, organizations seem to have erected a hidden barrier to advancement specifically targeting women and minority groups—a barrier that sometimes isn’t even recognized as being there.
 
Therefore, if women or members of underrepresented groups within an organization aim to steadily climb the career ladder, they’ll naturally begin to feel an invisible barrier standing in their way as they approach the top. As a result, their career progression often stalls at a certain point, making it impossible for them to move any further upward. This phenomenon is known as the “glass ceiling.”