Editing Glass cliff (section)

== Explanation ==
Many theories have been advanced to explain the existence of the glass cliff.

[[University of Houston]] psychology professor Kristin J. Anderson says companies may offer glass cliff positions to women because they consider women "more expendable and better scapegoats." She says the organizations that offer women tough jobs believe they win either way: if the woman succeeds, the company is better off. If she fails, the company is no worse off, she can be blamed, the company gets credit for having been egalitarian and progressive, and can return to its prior practice of appointing men.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.trust.org/item/20131103084828-93enz?view=print|title=When Wall Street Needs Scapegoats, Women Beware|last1=Rivers|first1=Caryl |first2=Rosalind C. |last2=Barnett |date=2 November 2013|work=Women's eNews|access-date=18 October 2014|archive-date=19 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719063738/http://www.trust.org/item/20131103084828-93enz?view=print|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Haslam and Ryan's initial studies indicate that people believe women are better-suited to lead stressed, unhappy companies because they are felt to be more nurturing, creative, and intuitive.<ref>{{Cite journal |url=http://blog.aelios.com/mbawg/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/The-glass-cliff.pdf |title=The road to the glass cliff: Differences in the perceived suitability of men and women for leadership positions in succeeding and failing organizations |last1=Haslam |first1=S. Alexander |first2=Michelle K. |last2=Ryan |date=2008 |journal=The Leadership Quarterly |access-date=18 October 2014 |doi=10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.07.011 |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=530–546 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225013107/http://blog.aelios.com/mbawg/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/The-glass-cliff.pdf |archive-date=25 December 2013 |hdl=10871/8362 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> These researchers argue that female leaders are not necessarily expected to improve the situation, but are seen as good people managers who can take the blame for organizational failure.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Think crisis-think female: the glass cliff and contextual variation in the think manager-think male stereotype |last1=Ryan |first1=Michelle K. |last2=Haslam |first2=S. Alexander |last3=Hersby |first3=Mette D. |last4=Bongiorno |first4=Renata |date=May 2011 |journal=Journal of Applied Psychology |doi=10.1037/a0022133 |pmid=21171729 |volume=96 |issue=3 |pages=470–84 |hdl=10871/18856 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Haslam has shown that women executives are likelier than men to accept glass cliff positions because they do not have access to the high-quality information and support that would ordinarily warn executives away.<ref name="Trop">{{cite news|last=Trop|first=Jaclyn|title=Is Mary Barra standing on a glass cliff? |date=29 April 2014 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2014/04/mary-barra-general-motors-ceo-glass-cliff.html|access-date=23 May 2014|newspaper=The New Yorker|archive-date=19 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719134251/http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2014/04/mary-barra-general-motors-ceo-glass-cliff.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Additional research has indicated that women and other minorities view risky job offers as the only chance they are likely to get.<ref name="McCullough-2014" />

A 2007 study found that female news consumers in the United Kingdom were likelier than male ones to accept that the glass cliff exists and is dangerous and unfair to women executives. Female study participants attributed the existence of the glass cliff to a lack of other opportunities for women executives, [[sexism]], and men's [[in-group favoritism]]. Male study participants said that women are less suited than men to difficult leadership roles or strategic decision-making, or that the glass cliff is unrelated to gender.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Reactions to the glass cliff: Gender differences in the explanations for the precariousness of women's leadership positions|last1=Ryan|first1=Michelle K. |first2=S. Alexander |last2=Haslam |first3=Tom |last3=Postmes |date=2007|journal=Journal of Organizational Change Management|doi=10.1108/09534810710724748|volume=20|issue=2|pages=182–197}}</ref>

Additional research has suggested that women see precarious glass cliff opportunities as the only chances for advancement. While men may view the same opportunities as risky, women candidates might be more willing to accept these positions out of necessity for career advancement purposes.<ref name="Rink-2012">{{Cite journal |last1=Rink |first1=Floor |last2=Ryan |first2=Michelle K. |last3=Stoker |first3=Janka I. |date=2012 |title=Influence in Times of Crisis: How Social and Financial Resources Affect Men's and Women's Evaluations of Glass-Cliff Positions |journal=Psychological Science |language=en |volume=23 |issue=11 |pages=1306–1313 |doi=10.1177/0956797612453115 |pmid=23042121 |s2cid=33463759 |issn=0956-7976}}</ref> Additionally, women are more likely than men to maintain their positions at any level during times of crisis, making them more readily available for advancement opportunities during times of crisis than male counterparts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bruckmüller |first1=Susanne |last2=Branscombe |first2=Nyla R. |date=September 2010 |title=The glass cliff: When and why women are selected as leaders in crisis contexts |url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1348/014466609X466594 |journal=British Journal of Social Psychology |language=en |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=433–451 |doi=10.1348/014466609X466594 |pmid=19691915 |access-date=2023-05-03 |archive-date=2023-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503043500/https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/014466609X466594 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Women with traditionally feminine traits are sought out in times of crisis due to a perceived ability to better handle employee issues.<ref name="Ryan-2016">{{Cite journal |last1=Ryan |first1=Michelle K. |last2=Haslam |first2=S. Alexander |last3=Morgenroth |first3=Thekla |last4=Rink |first4=Floor |last5=Stoker |first5=Janka |last6=Peters |first6=Kim |date=2016-06-01 |title=Getting on top of the glass cliff: Reviewing a decade of evidence, explanations, and impact |journal=The Leadership Quarterly |series=Special Issue: Gender and Leadership |language=en |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=446–455 |doi=10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.10.008 |s2cid=147189923 |issn=1048-9843|url=https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/80661161/Getting_on_top_of_the_glass_cliff_Reviewing_a_decade_of_evidence_explanations.pdf }}</ref> Stereotypically feminine traits, including creativity, helpfulness and awareness of emotion are all associated with better being able to handle failure. Though these traits generally diminish the desirability of women for leadership positions, in times of crisis they are viewed as valuable assets that aid in leadership changes.<ref name="Morgenroth-2020" /> These skill sets offer opportunities for non-traditional leadership styles, viewed favorably in times of crisis.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wicker |first1=Pamela |last2=Cunningham |first2=George B. |last3=Fields |first3=Drew |date=2019-12-01 |title=Head Coach Changes in Women's College Soccer: An Investigation of Women Coaches Through the Lenses of Gender Stereotypes and the Glass Cliff |journal=Sex Roles |language=en |volume=81 |issue=11 |pages=797–807 |doi=10.1007/s11199-019-01022-2 |issn=1573-2762|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Glass cliff situations are likely only to arise under certain conditions, in which women leaders have access to resources they view as favorable to leaders. Research has indicated that in times of crisis, women view leadership positions with a greater amount of social resources more positively than they do positions lacking in social resources. However, they view positions lacking financial resources equally as positively as those with a wide range of social resources.<ref name="Rink-2012" />