Becker's Hospital Review

58 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP POPULATION HEALTH The dangers of the 'glass cliff' for women in leadership roles By Georgina Gonzalez R esearch shows women and people of color are more likely to be placed into leadership positions when an orga- nization is in crisis mode, leaving them in a precarious situation and at risk of falling over the "glass cliff," the BBC reported Feb. 6. Female and other underrepresented leaders have the opportunity to prove their mettle in these positions but are also hyper-scrutinized given the crisis of the situation. One analy- sis of Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 companies found women were more likely to be appointed to the boards of already under- performing companies, with the researchers coining the phenomenon that subtle discrim- ination places women in as the "glass cliff." "With the glass cliff [you're] starting with a deficit," said Alison Cook, PhD, a professor of management at Utah State University in Lo- gan. "You're not only asking them to help you succeed but pull you out of the depths and then be successful. It's a tall order." is held true across a number of organiza- tions, including in politics, coaching sports teams and even experiments, with people more likely to take a chance on a woman when there is existing failure. e evidence also suggests there is no difference in the size of the "glass cliff " effect between women and people of color. Explanations for why the "glass cliff " occurs are tied to a belief that stereotypically female traits are good for crisis leadership, sending an external signal that the organization is changing socially or prejudice exists among decision-makers. To combat the phenomenon, some experts recommend implementing quotas to level the playing field. "If you have some form of quotas it is much harder to have these biased decision process- es," ekla Morgenroth, PhD, assistant pro- fessor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., told the BBC. "at's a very practical thing that organizations can implement." n Single women face steeper climb to reach leadership positions at work By Georgina Gonzalez A lthough working mothers have always known it is more challenging to ascend the leadership ranks at work, new studies suggest single women also sit at a disadvantage, Bloomberg reported March 10. One study asked 300 participants about how likely they were to recommend a fictional woman for a big promotion. When the woman was presented as single, she was less likely to be recommended for a promotion compared to when she was presented with a husband and children. There was no such difference when a fictional man was presented as single or with a family. Another study analyzed real MBA post graduates and their career trajec- tories. Women who were young, single and scored well on the analytical entrance exam experienced more career setbacks than married and single men, married women and single women who did not have as many analyt- ical skills. The research suggested that others may perceive these analytical skills as "masculine" traits. Although married women with children are often judged for their commit- ments outside of work, the researchers noted that capable young women are also penalized for their talents. "You're being penalized early on because you don't fit this communal image of a woman and you're not a man, and then later you're penalized because you have these other commitment pieces," Jennifer Merluzzi, PhD, associate professor at George Washington University and an author of the research, told Bloomberg. n 4 figures highlighting the difference female leaders can make at work By Georgina Gonzalez W omen's participation in the workforce was hit hard during the pan- demic, affecting organizations across the nation and reducing fe- male representation in leadership positions. When women at the top leave, everybody loses out, according to a March 8 report from the Har- vard Business Review. Here are four ways female leaders make a difference in the workplace: 1. In one study of 5,000 companies, 55 percent of female leaders were seen as being both wise and compassionate, compared to 27 percent of male leaders. 2. In a McKinsey report, female leaders and managers were seen to provide employees with 12 percent more emotional support, 5 percent more action to prevent burnout and 7 percent more well-being checks than men. 3. Another study showed employee performance and engagement were high- er for both male and female staff when a woman led them. Female leaders cre- ated an average 5.2 percent increase in engagement and 5.8 percent increase in performance for staff as compared to male leaders leading male staff. 4. Eighteen percent of staff disengage from male leaders, as opposed to 11 percent of staff for female leaders. n

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