# Insidious Nonetheless: How Small Effects and Hierarchical Norms Create and Maintain Gender Disparities in Organizations

**Authors:** Yuhao Du, Jessica Nordell, Kenneth Joseph  
**arXiv:** [2110.04196](https://arxiv.org/abs/2110.04196)  
**Date:** 2021-10-08  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2110.04196v1/

## Key points

- The term "glass ceiling" refers to barriers faced by women and people of color in advancing to the highest levels of corporate hierarchies
- This study focuses on gender disparities and presents an agent-based model to examine how discrimination and social norms interact to create the glass ceiling effect for women
- The researchers integrate existing psychological and structural theories of discrimination into a mathematical model to enhance understanding of the glass ceiling phenomenon
- The model quantifies dynamics within organizational systems that contribute to inequality, providing a comprehensive framework for analyzing and addressing gender disparities
- The findings have important implications for intervention strategies aimed at breaking down barriers for women in leadership positions
- Open-source code is provided, encouraging further adaptation and extension of the research
- The study highlights the insidious nature of gender disparities in organizations and emphasizes considering individual-level discrimination and societal norms when seeking solutions.

## Summary

The term "glass ceiling" refers to the well-established phenomenon where women and people of color face consistent barriers in advancing to the highest levels of corporate hierarchies. In this study, the focus is on gender disparities, and the authors present an agent-based model that examines how interpersonal discrimination and social norms interact at both organizational and societal levels to create and perpetuate this glass ceiling effect for women. By integrating existing psychological and structural theories of discrimination into a mathematical model, the researchers aim to enhance our understanding of how the glass ceiling emerges and why it remains resistant to change. This model quantifies the complex dynamics within organizational systems that contribute to inequality, providing a comprehensive framework for analyzing and addressing gender disparities. The findings have important implications for intervention strategies aimed at breaking down barriers for women in leadership positions. Additionally, by providing open-source code, the authors encourage further adaptation and extension of their work in order to advance knowledge in this field. Overall, this study sheds light on the insidious nature of gender disparities in organizations. It underscores the importance of considering both individual-level discrimination as well as broader societal norms when seeking solutions to address these inequalities.