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Beyond the Glass Ceiling: The Glass Cliff and Its Lessons for Organizational Policy
Author(s) -
Bruckmüller Susanne,
Ryan Michelle K.,
Rink Floor,
Haslam S. Alexander
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
social issues and policy review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.798
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1751-2409
pISSN - 1751-2395
DOI - 10.1111/sipr.12006
Subject(s) - glass ceiling , metaphor , face (sociological concept) , phenomenon , diversity (politics) , hierarchy , politics , social psychology , psychology , public relations , sociology , political science , epistemology , social science , law , linguistics , philosophy
It has been almost 30 years since the metaphor of the “glass ceiling” was coined to describe the often subtle, but very real, barriers that women face as they try to climb the organizational hierarchy. Here we review evidence for a relatively new form of gender discrimination—captured by the metaphor of the glass cliff—that women face when they obtain positions of leadership. Such positions often prove to be more risky and precarious than those of their male counterparts. We summarize evidence demonstrating the existence of glass cliffs in business and politics as well as experimental work that identifies a number of factors contributing to the phenomenon. We then discuss implications for policy and practice, highlighting the importance of understanding women's and men's experiences in the workplace rather than treating gender diversity as merely “a numbers game.”