Glass cliff : the Maltese perspective of women who went beyond the barrier

Abstract

The discrimination between men and women as well as their employment within the workforce is highly topical. Discrimination does not only relate to the gender disparity within the workforce, but also to the obstacles that men and women encounter in their career progression. This quantitative research explores the appointment of women occupying managerial roles or top positions within the private sector in the Maltese Islands. Specifically, this study looks at the Glass Cliff effect, which was originally proposed by Ryan and Haslam (2005), and its applicability to the local Maltese context. Additionally, this research analyses the perception that women have in relation to their own appointments, and whether these could be linked to the Glass Cliff theory. A questionnaire was distributed amongst women who met a specific set of criteria, that is, women who occupied managerial roles or top positions within the private sector, and who were not self-employed at the time of the research inquiry. This research recognises that even though some of the results could link the participants’ appointments to the Glass Cliff, these were, in fact, not significant. Additionally, the participants did not perceive their own appointment as a result of the Glass Cliff since some participants indicated an association between their experience and the Glass Cliff effect, whilst others indicated no such association. This research highlights the lack of women occupying managerial roles or top positions locally, and hence, encourages future research to analyse this context. The latter encompasses research that analyses the quantity, as well as quality, of women’s profiles being appointed to managerial roles or top positions in the Maltese Islands. Thus, this research aims to develop and further evidence-based practice in the area of gender discrimination and the appointment of women to managerial roles.