Final answer:
The term 'glass ceiling' refers to the invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from reaching top management positions due to discrimination. This barrier is not only affected by individual company policies but is also ingrained in societal gender roles and broader patterns of discrimination.
Step-by-step explanation:
The invisible barrier that separates women and minorities from top management positions is known as the glass ceiling. This term refers to the unseen, yet unbreachable, obstruction that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements. Discrimination plays a significant role in creating this barrier, which is not just about behaviors within individual companies but also reflects broader social patterns of discrimination.
Policies that can be used alongside antidiscrimination laws to help reduce the earnings gap may include those that address pay equity, provide for affirmative action, ensure adequate child care support, and promote flexible work arrangements. These initiatives all aim to level the playing field and counteract the systemic issues that contribute to the glass ceiling and pay disparities between different genders and races.