Explaining the antecedents and consequences of the glass cliff in service organizations

Purpose: The glass cliff refers to the margins of employing women in risky management jobs. In other words, the glass cliff phenomenon states that women are more likely than men to reach risky management positions and the management of units that are mainly in crisis is left to women. The study of the glass cliff can be a turning point for more thinkers and researchers in this field to address the problems and challenges of women in management positions. The main purpose of this research is to design the glass cliff model (with emphasis on antecedents and consequences) in service organizations of Golestan province.

Method: The current research was done by a mixed-method approach, using both qualitative and quantitative research design. First, by qualitative method, we use content analysis by conducting semi-structured interviews. Participants in the qualitative phase were both managers working in service organizations of Golestan province and university professors. Considering the theoretical saturation, twenty people were selected by purposeful and snowball sampling. The outcomes of qualitative phase lead the researchers to design the conceptual framework and research hypothesis. Then, through quantitative phase, structural equation modeling, using Smart PLS, conducted to test research hypothesis. The questionaire was distributed among female managers working in service organizations of Golestan province, using stratified random sampling method. 225 female managers working in service organizations in Golestan province filled the research questionnaire.

Findings: The findings of the qualitative phase showed that causal factors include themes like women's leadership characteristics, meritocratic criteria, women's preferences, organizational factors. Other main themes are central phenomenon (glass cliff), strategies (succession, personal development planning and support networks) and consequences (positive consequences), as well as individual and organizational consequences. The results of data analysis showed that women's leadership characteristics, meritocracy criteria, women's preferences, organizational factors have significant effects on the glass cliff phenomenon. Moreover, the impact of the glass cliff phenomenon on succession strategies, personal development planning and support networks were confirmed. Finally, the results show the positive effect of these strategies on positive outcomes and their negative effect on negative outcomes Based on the model designed in the qualitative part of the research, it is suggested to decision makers and senior managers of service organizations, while paying attention to the causes of the formation of the glass cliff phenomenon, to understand, control and manage the factors that cause challenges and problems for women managers in risky positions. They become managers, take action.

Conclusion: This study is one of the first studies that, relying on mixed-method research, provides a comprehensive framework to understand the causal conditions, strategies and consequences of the glass cliff phenomenon.Considering the novelty of glass cliff studies in Iran, it is suggested to other researchers to study the research with the aim of identifying the crises that caused the appointment of women in risky managerial positions and also to identify the management style of women in risky managerial positions.