Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors contributing
to the glass ceiling and their impact on women's career
development in Sri Lanka's apparel sector with a focus on the
moderating role of marital status. Quantitative data was collected
from 100 female employees in a selected apparel company within
the Koggala Free Trade Zone using a structured questionnaire.
The analysis was conducted using SPSS and the PROCESS
macro. The findings reveal that personal and social barriers
significantly negatively impact women’s career development.
Further, marital status moderates the relationship between glass
ceiling factors and women's career development. These findings
provide empirical evidence for the challenges faced by women in
the apparel industry. These findings suggest the need of
addressing glass ceiling factors (such as personal and social
factors) to promote female upward mobility within the apparel
sector organization in Sri Lanka. It also highlights the targeted
interventions to mitigate challenges faced by married women in
their professional growth.
