Gender stereotyping of managers and the self‐concept of business students across their undergraduate education

Glass hurdles in business are cognitive reflections of the greater difficulty faced by women compared to men in achieving success as managers. The social glass hurdle is the distance between one’s gender stereotype and the ratings of a successful manager; the personal glass hurdle, the distance between one’s self‐assessment and the ratings of a successful manager. This research examined two important reflections of these glass hurdles in Hong Kong. Results showed that students of both genders regarded the successful middle manager as more similar to the typical male than to the typical female. The relative size of this social glass hurdle did not change across their two years of training for a career in business. A persisting personal glass hurdle was also found. Discusses these results in relation to those found in other social‐political contexts, and suggests that continuing challenges face women who aspire to managerial positions.