Beyond the Glass Cliff: A Scoping Review of the Influencing Factors of Glass Cliff

Abstract

Glass ceiling syndrome is the exposure of women to some inequalities while climbing the career ladders. It is an invisible barrier above the women that prevents them from being promoted. Women who achieve to break the glass ceiling get the leadership positions but it is possible for them to face to a new adventure called glass cliff. Glass cliff is the appointment of women to more risky, problematic or unstable leadership positions compared to men. These deliberate promotions, which can cause loss of prestige and an image of failure, are generally not rejected as they are still an opportunity for women. The aim of this study is to reveal the influencing factors of glass cliff. Within the framework of this purpose, a scoping review was carried out. In this review, papers on glass cliff indexed in Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2000-2021 are examined. The results of the study revealed that there are five factors that are commonly referred in reviewed articles. These factors are; stereotypes of leadership and gender, company performance, need for change, leadership ability and leadership suitability.