Glass Ceiling and Glass Cliff: Two Barriers Women Face
The Glass Ceiling Blocks Women’s Ascent
Women have always faced what we call the “glass ceiling.” This invisible barrier makes it difficult for them to access top managerial positions. However, a counter phenomenon called the “glass cliff” also exists.
The Glass Cliff Puts Women in Crisis Roles
Women in leadership positions at organizations going through crisis seem overrepresented. Why does this paradigm occur when the chances of failure are higher and the risks are greater? What repercussions does the glass cliff have on the overall perception and growth of women?
Defining the Glass Cliff
The glass cliff refers to women being more likely to rise to positions of organizational leadership in times of crisis than in times of success. Conversely, men are more likely to achieve those positions in prosperous times.
Crisis Creates Opportunities for Women
During periods of turmoil, whether from unstable macro-environment factors or internal difficulties, risk-taking becomes the focal point. Organizations need someone to manage through shaky waters. To counter these problems, organizations tend to undertake drastic measures. These include restructuring, business model reconsiderations, strategic shifts, and leadership change. All of these push organizations to try something new.
Organizations Take Risks on Women
Such attempts include the possibility of providing greater opportunities for women to take on leadership positions. These changes put organizations and their leaders under high scrutiny and pressure from both stakeholders and the media. The pressure intensifies when non-conventional individuals step into the front line. Consequently, they become more likely to take full responsibility for poor performance and mistakes, even though the problems were mostly inherited.
True Stories of the Glass Cliff
Evidence Exists in Both Private and Public Arenas
There is evidence of glass cliff examples in both the private and public arenas. Some of these constitute inspiring success stories despite the tough journey. Here is just a sample of women who took appointments to handle organizations and institutions in difficult times.
Theresa May: A Classic Example
Theresa May became Prime Minister of the UK in 2016. She represents a classic example of the glass cliff, as she received the appointment shortly after the Brexit vote. She resigned from her position in 2019.
Marissa Mayer: Yahoo!’s Crisis CEO
Marissa Mayer took the role of CEO of Yahoo! in 2012. At that time, the company had lost significant market share to Google. Mayer resigned in 2017 after facing high scrutiny and before Verizon acquired Yahoo!
Jill Abramson: First Female Chief Editor
Jill Abramson is another example. She became the first female chief editor of the New York Times in 2011. The company was facing declining advertising revenues and threats related to the shift toward digital technologies. The company fired her in 2014.
Mary Barra: From Criticism to Success
Mary Barra became the first female CEO in the automotive industry at General Motors in 2014. Wall Street faced her nomination with severe criticism after the scandal related to thirteen deaths associated with electrical problems in GM cars. Today, we label her as an exceptional CEO because she surely led General Motors out of crisis.
Christine Lagarde: From IMF to ECB
Christine Lagarde took the position of Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund in 2011. At that time, the credibility of the company’s decisions had faced serious questions during the Greek financial crisis. Today, Lagarde serves as President of the European Central Bank.
Katrin Jakobsdottir: Iceland’s Prime Minister
Iceland’s Prime Minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, received her appointment in 2017. This happened right after the financial crisis and after three elections in the previous years. Her tenure has proven remarkable.
Why Do Organizations Choose Women?
“Think Crisis, Think Female”
Industrial-organizational psychologists refer to this phenomenon as “think crisis, think female.” Numerous factors favor the appointment of women to manage entities in crisis. These include the following.
Appointing Women Signals Change
Historically, most organizations have had men in management. Boards of directors have predominantly consisted of men. Breaking this status quo and choosing to appoint women becomes a sign of real desire and commitment to change, openness, and transformation.
Female Qualities Prove Essential in Tough Times
In tough situations, men tend to focus on exerting hierarchy, authority, and financial influence to solve crises. However, research proves that stereotypically female qualities are more needed in tough times. These include social skills, tact, empathy, collaboration, and intuitive decision-making skills.
Crisis Management Requires a Feminine Touch
Effective crisis management relies on maintaining the morale of your workforce. It also requires directing efforts toward commitment and fulfillment of the goals. These aspects correlate most with the leadership style of women. Stereotypically, people consider these as weaknesses in the leadership style of men.
Intrinsic Motivation Drives Women
Intrinsic motivation can also determine whether women take on risky challenges. The desire to prove oneself and have their success resonate is just one aspect of this motivation.
The Drawbacks of the Glass Cliff
A Double-Edged Sword
No matter how tempting breaking through the glass ceiling might look, the appointment of women to leadership positions in situations of crisis can seem like a double-edged sword. What looks like an opportunity for growth comes wrapped in a predominant danger: the risk of falling from the top.
Other Negative Repercussions Exist
But that is not all. Other negative repercussions on the overall perception of women can also happen.
Greater Criticism and Blame
Individuals in such positions face greater criticism. They risk receiving full blame for negative performance that existed long before their appointment.
Success Takes Time
Making it toward safe harbor is not always easy and takes time. In several instances, success might not always happen. This associates failure with the presence of women leaders.
Career Growth Suffers
Women directors of poorly performing companies are less likely to receive appointments to other corporate boards. This can affect their overall career growth.
Success Leads to More Crisis Roles
If success does happen, the recurrence of similar appointments is likely to occur again. This limits the presence of women to such categories of organizations or institutions in crisis.
A Final Word
Change the Question
Men or Women? It is time to change the question. Real equality means understanding the capabilities of the person. It means not confining or classifying one gender or the other into distinct categories.
Promote Diversity at All Levels
Organizations should engage in promoting diversity at all levels. They should install a culture where the complementary skills of men and women work together to achieve greater results.
The Association Will Fade Away
When women receive better opportunities for growth and for handling all sorts of organizations, whether in times of crisis or not, the association of gender with situational leadership will fade away. It will take with it what we call the glass cliff.
Our Responsibility to Shatter the Glass
If research allows us to understand the glass ceiling and glass cliff concepts along with their impact on women’s leadership, then we share the responsibility as men and women to shatter the glass. By promoting openness, equality, and growth, every person can reach their full potential. They can also make a positive impact for the sustainable growth of organizations and countries.
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