What Is Glass Cliff Theory? When Women Get Leadership Roles Only In Crisis

It is unfortunately rare to see women in senior leadership, but in some cases, when they get the position, it is under circumstances of crisis. Imagine a company is failing and the board members suddenly decide to appoint a woman as CEO. Is it only a coincidence? Research says no. This is called the Glass Cliff Theory.

What is the Glass Cliff Theory?

Glass Cliff Theory means that women, racial and ethnic minorities, and other marginalized individuals are more likely to be appointed to leadership roles. It happens during times of crisis, severe economic downturn, or organisational failure when the risk of falling and failing is highest.

The term was first coined by researchers Michelle K. Ryan and Alexander Haslam of the University of Exeter in 2005. The concept focuses on the idea of the invisible barrier that blocks diverse candidates from reaching top positions.

It was first invented in 1978, where both the glass ceiling and glass cliff are used to describe a structure that is invisible but durable. Glass is a metaphor for the structural barriers that certain groups of people face that are invisible to other, more privileged groups.

ALSO READ- Why Are Women Still Missing From Senior Leadership? What The Numbers Say About Modern Career Growth

Why Does The Phenomenon Of The Glass Cliff Happens?

During the stable periods, leadership archetypes lean masculine. However, during a crisis, public perception sometimes shifts to feminine leadership, with the assumption that women possess superior empathy and communication.

Moreover, companies may also appoint a diverse leader to publicly signal progressive values or a clean break from past management, making it a superficial fix of a larger problem.  

According to some studies, many poorly performing Fortune 500 most likely appointed a female CEO than those performing well. Another study found that boards were more likely to recruit female directors following decreased stock performance. 

Real-Life Examples Of Glass Cliff Theory:

In 2012, Yahoo appointed Marissa Mayer as its CEO, and this was at a time when the company was losing osing market share, suffering from years of executive turnover, and struggling to compete with Google and Facebook.

Meanwhile, in 2014, Ellen Pao became the interim CEO of Reddit during a turbulent period marked by internal company friction, community backlash, and controversial policy overhauls.

Similar cases have been seen in politics as well, with Theresa May becoming the UK Prime Minister in 2016 immediately following the historic and chaotic Brexit referendum vote.

Talking about the recent events, Colette Kress has been appointed as the interim CEO of Nvidia following the resignation of co-founder Jensen Huang after investigations into personal relationships and security scrutiny.

ALSO READ- Village Courtyards To Fashion Labels: How Women Artisans Are Turning Embroidery Into Careers

The Glass Cliff is not a myth; it is a pattern that keeps repeating in boardrooms across the world. It's not only important to give women a chair at the top; it is also about giving them the same fair chance to lead in good times, not just in crisis.

(Image Credits: Magnific)
To read more such stories, stay tuned to Her Zindagi.