The concept of the glass ceiling describes the subtle yet powerful restrictions that prevent women from advancing into senior leadership roles despite comparable qualifications. To explore how this issue has been studied, we analyzed 994 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection between 1988 and 2023. With the help of the R-based Bibliometrix package, we examined trends in publication output, citation dynamics, leading scholars and institutions, patterns of collaboration, and the evolution of major research themes. Findings reveal a steady increase in publications since the mid-2000s, peaking in 2019. Highly cited works by Ryan, Haslam, Cotter, and Albrecht established the intellectual foundations of the field, while co-citation analysis highlighted two dominant clusters connecting gender discrimination, organizational behavior, and labor market economics. The United States, United Kingdom, and Spain emerged as leading contributors, though global participation remains uneven, with limited representation from developing economies. Keyword and thematic analyses indicate that while promotion and discrimination dominated earlier studies, recent research emphasizes gender diversity, intersectionality, corporate governance, and sector-specific barriers, such as in academia and surgery. The persistence of the glass ceiling theme across four research periods underscores its enduring relevance. This study contributes a comprehensive overview of the field, highlighting the need for intersectional approaches, cross-disciplinary integration, and expanded global representation to advance gender equality and dismantle structural barriers.