Understanding the Precariousness of the Glass Cliff: An Examination of Social Resources and Global Context

This chapter provides an overview of recent findings showing that stereotypical gendered beliefs about leadership underlie the glass cliff phenomenon. We summarise a series of studies demonstrating that the availability of social resources (i.e., social support from higher management and relevant stakeholders) during an organisational crisis impacts on the salience of these gendered leadership beliefs. In consequence, the availability of such resources contribute to the appointment of women into leadership positions, the precariousness of these positions, and the way men and women themselves evaluate the positions. Moreover, we review the literature on the appointment of women into precarious leadership positions across national cultures that differ in their endorsement of gendered leadership beliefs. This literature suggests that the glass cliff phenomenon is observed globally, yet is complex, subtle and multiple-determined.