New research questions the 'Glass Cliff' and corroborates the persistent 'Glass Ceiling'

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 - 12:30 in Psychology & Sociology

Are women more likely to be appointed to leadership positions in crisis situations when companies are struggling with declining profits? The term "glass cliff" was coined by researchers Ryan and Haslam in the early 2000s to describe a phenomenon in which women are more likely than men to be promoted to precarious management positions with a higher risk of failure. Exemplar cases often used to support the theory include Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and Andrea Nahles, Social Democrat party leader in the German Bundestag. A new study published in The Leadership Quarterly, "The glass cliff myth? Evidence from German and the UK," explores whether the gender of new leaders ties in to corporate performance trends prior to appointments.

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