A multifaceted analysis of the relationship between perception of a glass ceiling and career satisfaction: The role of work engagement, hierarchical position and gender

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between glass ceiling perceptions – the belief-based dimensions of denial and resilience – and career satisfaction (CS), focusing on the mediating role of work engagement (WE) and the moderating roles of gender and hierarchical position. Design/methodology/approach: Moving beyond structural explanations, the study conceptualises denial and resilience as contextual cognitive appraisals of organisational inequality rather than coping mechanisms. Grounded in Role Congruity Theory, Cognitive Appraisal Theory, Conservation of Resources Theory and the Job Demands–Resources Model, the study tested 11 hypotheses using structural equation modelling (SEM). Data were collected from 810 employees working in the Marmara Region of Turkey. Findings/results: The findings revealed that both denial and resilience were positively associated with CS, whereas only resilience was positively related to WE. Work engagement, positively predicted CS and mediated the relationship between resilience and CS, but not between denial and CS. Moderation analyses showed that gender significantly moderated the resilience–CS relationship, with a stronger effect observed for women, while no moderating effect was found for denial. Hierarchical position significantly moderated both relationships: denial and resilience exhibited stronger positive impacts on CS at higher hierarchical levels. Practical implications: These findings underscore the complex interplay between individual psychological resources and structurally embedded career barriers. Rather than implying individual responsibility for overcoming inequality, the results highlight how resilience may function as a compensatory resource in contexts where organisational support is insufficient. Originality/value: This study advances understanding of how belief-based perceptions of the glass ceiling influence career outcomes, shedding light on the nuanced roles of cognitive appraisals, WE and organisational context.