Source 1: Glass Ceiling Commission (1991-1996)

i. Origin:
Thomsen, Natasha. Global Issues: Women's Rights. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print.
Excerpted from "Glass Ceiling Commission - A Solid Investment: Making Full Use of the Nation's Human Capital," by the Glass Ceiling Commission, November 1995, p. 6.
Available online. <http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/key_workplace/120/>

ii. Summary:
The source is a final report issued by the Glass Ceiling Commission that studied from 1966-1996. This was a study made by the U.S. Department of Labor on the biases that limit access to high management opportunities. Not much progress was made in female executive power. Women earned more than 50% of Master's degrees, but 95% of major CEO's were male. The study recognizes progress in ending discrimination against women and offers suggestions for fixing the workplace biases.

iii. Assessment:
The panel composing the Glass Ceiling Commission was bipartisan, allowing for all opinions to influence the research process. The gender composition of the panel is unknown; a balance of men and women might more accurately project findings than a skewed panel. The report does not focus on the lower or moderate level jobs, since the glass ceiling is at the top level of employment. Since the United States government created the Commission, it could have had some influence over the acceptance of the research and the disclosure of it to the public. However, the fact that the document is publicly available means that it was approved by the Department of Labor. The report indicates that there was awareness and public concern over the glass ceiling, and the government was willing to act upon this public protest.

iv. Analysis:
The Commission's findings reveal that the high-tier workplace was not a completely welcoming environment for women in the 1990s. Since bias remained, there was not an overall success for the feminist movement. However, the fact that 5% of major CEO's were female means that there was inspiration for more women to get promoted to high-management positions. Change was found in the past years, and the Commission's suggestions should have sped the process of change in businesses and companies since it increased governmental pressure on the departments that were biased towards hiring women.