The corporate world is still a generally hostile environment for women advancement, according to a new report, which also showed that majority of workplace set ups subconsciously reserve leadership roles to men.

In a study commissioned by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), researchers have concluded that a glass barrier still exists in the workplace and the likelihood that more women will achieve higher positions is hampered by unconscious bias against them.

Titled 'Women in Leadership: Looking Below The Surface' and set to be released on Tuesday, the CEDA report, according to chief executive Stephen Martin, should spark more healthy discussions that would shed light on the issue of gender equality especially in the workplace area.

The new report, Martin said, also highlighted a worrisome business scenario that calls for significant adjustments in order to accommodate the entry of more women in corporate leadership functions and positions.

Basing on the findings extracted from the report, CEDA believes that women are still excluded from leadership roles though Martin acknowledged that "these are not always readily available for scrutiny."

"Hosting a combination of public and private sessions with both men and women enabled the identification of subtle hidden barriers that sit below the surface," he suggested.

Contributing researcher Hannah Piterman agreed that hidden bias against women serves as a major setback on efforts to instil equality in the workplace though she suggested that careful and close understanding of the issue could considerably clear out the pathways for many companies.

"Throughout this paper, and particularly within the private discussions, numerous thoughts and quotes exhibit this unconscious bias ... and understanding what it means can help equip organisations to challenge it and pursue new models of thinking," Piterman stressed.