Falling over a glass cliff: A study of the recruitment of women to leadership roles in troubled enterprises

Are women breaking through the glass ceiling only to arrive at a glass cliff—that is, being preferentially appointed to leadership roles where the chances of failure are higher? This study investigates the concept of the glass cliff, both by seeking evidence for its existence and by examining its implications. Focusing specifically on the impact of the recruiter's gender, the researchers asked professionals from a range of backgrounds to evaluate candidates for a post in a hypothetical company that was portrayed either as a success or as in decline. Taken as a whole, the results support the existence of a glass cliff. When the results from male and female recruiters were analyzed separately, a different picture emerged, however. Male recruiters showed no gender preference in the failing company context but favored the male candidate for the low‐risk position. In contrast, female recruiters consistently favored a female candidate, with this preference being more marked for a high‐risk role. The study concluded by looking into the possible motivations for these biases and examining their implications in informing recruitment and career decisions.