The glass cliff phenomenon and female chair appointments

Event details

This event will present the findings of the funded research sponsored by BA/Leverhulme on the Glass Cliff Phenomenon in female Chair appointments.

Abstract

This exploratory study reports the findings of elite interview-based research examining the prevalence of the glass cliff phenomenon in female Chair appointments. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of board appointments, the motivations behind appointing female directors and the relevance of the glass cliff perspective for the same.

The findings of the study also contribute to corporate practices by sounding cautious to female leaders regarding the due diligence of offers for board appointments they receive. Finally, the findings of the study may potentially shape policy on how the current narrative on improving gender diversity can be tweaked to ensure that such a policy leads to a sustainable benefit for companies and female directors.

Biography

Dr Rita Goyal, PhD SFHEA CMBE, is an Assistant Professor (Research) at the CFCI, Coventry University, UK. External examiner for two UK-based universities and supervisor for PhD research, Rita is also often invited to guest lecturer on Research Methods and leadership in the UK and abroad.

She publishes in world-leading academic journals, reports, and books on contemporary leadership, strategy, and corporate governance issues. She taught a range of Undergraduate and Master’s courses and was MBA course director. Rita has interviewed 70+ corporate elites of listed companies for her doctoral studies and funded research.
Rita is a member of the Equality Diversity and Inclusion working group at Coventry University. Previously, Rita was a senior leader for 20+ years in a telecommunications company. She is fluent in Hindi and English and has proficiency in native languages.

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