Netflix, The Chair, And The Glass Cliff

The Chair is a streaming comedy-drama television series from the United States. On August 20, 2021, Netflix launched the series. It takes place at Pembroke University, which is located "in what appears to be New England."

Professor Ji-Yoon Kim has been named chair of Pembroke University's English department. She strives to secure the tenure of a young black colleague, navigate her relationship with her crush, friend, and well-known colleague Bill Dobson, and raise her strong-willed adopted daughter as the first woman chosen for the job.

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Sandra Oh plays Ji-Yoon, the first woman — and of colour — to become chair of the English department at Pembroke University. And believe me when I say that the dark academic vibes are out of this world!

I have to admit that I binge-watched the entire series in one sitting. It's just that excellent, in my opinion. It's funny, educational, and has fantastic music.

I also like it because of the parallels it draws to real-world difficulties faced by women (particularly those of colour) who are thrust into positions of leadership, generally after a long period of adversity. And, luckily for us, what I'm talking about has a name, so we can look into it more. You've heard of the glass ceiling; soon you'll hear about the glass cliff.

Think Crisis- Think Female. Ji-Yoon and the Glass Cliff

The glass cliff effect is a phenomena in which women are put in leadership posts exclusively for underperforming firms and organisations (more than males and in other leadership roles). Men, on the other hand, are frequently selected to positions of leadership in stable and efficient businesses.

This appears to be a benefit in disguise, but in most situations, it is merely a subtle type of prejudice that will impact individual and collective women's psychological and leadership representation.

The metaphor of the glass cliff refers to the stressful, risky leadership position in which executives, mainly women, are assigned to high-ranking positions in a failing or "declining" business.

Ji-Yoon was appointed chair of Pembroke College's English department amid the school's worst year in terms of enrolment, student involvement, and gyms-turned-offices. Long story short, you must see the programme.

Women and businesses may suffer as a result of exclusively placing women in hazardous executive roles.

One of the consequences for women may be the end of their careers. When CEOs from failing firms seek alternative companies, they may not have the same possibilities for leadership.

Another disadvantage for women may be the high level of stress associated with working with a corporation in tough conditions. Women's unsuitability for positions of authority will be reinforced by the lack of public representation.

This influence might have negative consequences for enterprises as well. Businesses might be subjected to frequent and costly disruptions as a result of increasing stress, a lack of financial support, and bad public exposure. Which (spoiler alert) may or may not occur in The Chair...

Women may be picked as scapegoats for failures in business or institutions such as colleges, not because they are expected to improve the problem, but because they are viewed as excellent scapegoats and may therefore be held accountable.

So, with all my heartfelt sympathies for Ji-Yoon and other real-life strong employers, I say: Let's fix this for ourselves and future generations. Let's hold organisations accountable for their decisions, and work towards the day when we're on an equal footing with our male counterparts in terms of opportunity. We, too, want the excellent ones.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for something to binge watch, I recommend The Chair. I'm a sucker for anything starring Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, anyone?).

Resources:

Think crisis–think female: The glass cliff and contextual variation in the think manager–think male stereotype. — PsycNET (apa.org)

The Glass Cliff Follows the Glass Ceiling: How Women Are Set Up to Fail in Leadership Positions | HR Technologist

The Glass Cliff: Evidence that Women are Over-Represented in Precarious Leadership Positions by Michelle K. Ryan, S. Alexander Haslam.