Research into the glass cliff examines what happens when women (and other minority groups) take on leadership roles. Extending the metaphor of the glass ceiling, 'the glass cliff' describes the phenomenon whereby individuals belonging to particular groups are more likely to be found in leadership positions that are associated with a greater risk of failure and criticism.

This research is being conducted by the Glass Cliff research group, led by Dr Michelle Ryan and Prof Alex Haslam in the School of Psychology at the University of Exeter, UK.

Please navigate through the pages on this website to (a) find out more about our research on the glass cliff, (b) participate in our ongoing program of research, (c) be updated about what's new about the glass cliff, (d) read current academic, industry, and media reports, (e) find out about presentations given by members of the glass cliff research group, (f) find out more about us and find out how to contact us, and (g) to discover more about leadership, gender, and diversity.

Research into the Glass Cliff is supported by

the European Social Fund (ESF UK)
the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
the Research Councils UK (RC UK)