American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 2016, 6, 577-588 Published Online May 2016 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/ajibm http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2016.65054 How to cite this paper: Sever, H. (2016) The Comparison of Glass Ceiling Perception of Employees Working in Public and Private Enterprises. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 6, 577-588. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2016.65054 The Comparison of Glass Ceiling Perception of Employees Working in Public and Private Enterprises Hanifi Sever Zonguldak Police Department, TNP, Zonguldak, Turkey Received 12 April 2016; accepted 13 May 2016; published 16 May 2016 Copyright © 2016 by author and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Abstract Glass ceiling syndrome can be described as invisible and unbreakable barriers that keep a special group, such as women or any minorities, from progressing in their professional career, regardless of their ability or qualifications. Unseen barriers prevent women from promotion and, workforce. Gender-based discrimination in promotions is more intense at higher levels, but it is felt in every stage of business life. In this study, the glass ceiling perception of men and women employees working in public and private sectors was targeted by evaluating some variables. As a result of the study, it is expressed that women confront the glass ceiling syndrome much more than men. The factors affecting the glass ceiling were identified as gender, age, marital status, promotion, work- ing in public or private sector and additional income. Keywords Glass Ceiling, Gender Discrimination, Work Environment, Women Executives, Career Development 1. Introduction The development of education and information technology and understanding the importance of women’s work have resulted in an increase of the number of women employees. The increase in the quality and capacity of their work in the service sector has brought about some changes in the social structure. Glass ceiling on the basis of gender can be defined as limiting the chance for promotion, duties and responsi- bilities by invisible organizational or perceptual barriers [1]-[3]. Women encounter the glass ceiling in their careers particularly in the areas of work authority, prestige, trust, wages, being kept at a secondary role in terms of responsibility and duty. This ambivalence is not expressed