What’s the Glass Cliff?
The “glass cliff” is a time period utilized in enterprise administration context to explain a phenomenon the place ladies (and generally members of different underrepresented teams) usually tend to be put into management roles throughout occasions of disaster or downturn when the possibility of failure is highest.
The idea of a glass builds on the “glass ceiling” metaphor, which refers to an invisible barrier that stops principally ladies from advancing inside a hierarchy. The “glass cliff” means that when these people break by means of the glass ceiling, they’re usually put in precarious positions that set them up for failure.
Analysis has steered a couple of doable causes for the existence of the glass cliff. As an example, it might be that stereotypical beliefs about gender and management roles play an element. Ladies are sometimes seen as being extra nurturing, cooperative, and good at dealing with relationships, that are invaluable traits in a disaster. Nevertheless, if the corporate the brand new feminine chief is employed into doesn’t enhance, she could be blamed and endure the results, reinforcing gender biases.
One other perspective is that decision-makers might unconsciously contemplate ladies and different minorities expendable or much less invaluable, thus extra appropriate for high-risk roles that others don’t need.
The “glass cliff” time period was first coined by researchers Michelle Okay. Ryan and Alexander Haslam of the College of Exeter, UK, in 2005.
The Glass Cliff, Linda Yaccarino and Twitter
Elon Musk’s Could 12, 2023, appointment of Linda Yaccarino, a highly-regarded promoting government from NBCUniversal, as Twitter’s new CEO sparked renewed intense dialogue concerning the “glass cliff” phenomenon.
Yaccarino’s appointment comes amid turbulent occasions at Twitter, with Musk inflicting a stir in his preliminary few months, together with mass firings and modifications which have soured some customers and advertisers on the platform.
Yaccarino, who beforehand oversaw NBCUniversal’s market technique and promoting income, is taken into account a wonderful match to revive advertiser belief and enhance Twitter’s advert enterprise. Nevertheless, her success is taken into account contingent on Musk’s willingness to step again from the day-to-day operations of Twitter.
Musk’s uncommon conduct, together with his unconventional method to content material moderation, has been highlighted as a big problem for the incoming CEO. Regardless of Yaccarino’s robust monitor document, business insiders query whether or not she might be given the autonomy to steer Twitter in direction of stability and profitability.
In brief, some commentators consider that Yaccarino faces the “glass cliff”.
Jeff is a lawyer in Toronto who works for a expertise startup. Jeff is a frequent lecturer on employment regulation and is the writer of an employment regulation textbook and varied commerce journal articles. Jeff is all for Canadian enterprise, expertise and regulation, and this weblog is his platform to share his views and ideas in these areas.
