Journals / Uluslararası Yönetim Akademisi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2

Female Managers’ Perceptions of the Glass Cliff: A Qualitative Study in the Furniture Sector

Kadın Yöneticilerin Cam Uçurum Algısı: Mobilya Sektöründe Nitel Bir Araştırma

Ahu Taşdemir(BURSA ULUDAĞ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İNEGÖL MESLEK YÜKSEKOKULU)0000-0003-1233-4078
İsa İpçioğlu(BİLECİK ŞEYH EDEBALİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İKTİSADİ VE İDARİ BİLİMLER FAKÜLTESİ, İŞLETME BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0002-6912-3290
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-10-22
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that female managers’ leadership expectations vary according to organisational conditions; whilst interactive and visionary leadership are preferred during non-crisis periods, transformational, visionary and agile leadership are favoured during crisis periods.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of female managers working in the furniture sector regarding the ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon in the context of leadership, gender and ethnic origin.
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Key Findings & Data:The study was conducted using a qualitative research design; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 female managers working as middle managers in furniture manufacturing companies operating in İnegöl district, Bursa province.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that female managers’ leadership expectations vary according to organisational conditions; whilst interactive and visionary leadership are preferred during non-crisis periods, transformational, visionary and agile leadership are favoured during crisis periods.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Cam Uçurum · Kadın Yöneticiler · Liderlik

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of female managers working in the furniture sector regarding the ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon in the context of leadership, gender and ethnic origin. The study was conducted using a qualitative research design; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 female managers working as middle managers in furniture manufacturing companies operating in İnegöl district, Bursa province. During the data collection process, in addition to semi-structured interview questions, the scenario technique was utilised, and participants were presented with a candidate selection scenario for the position of factory manager at a fictional furniture company experiencing a crisis. The data obtained were analysed using thematic analysis, with theme distributions supported by frequency tables. The findings indicate that female managers’ leadership expectations vary according to organisational conditions; whilst interactive and visionary leadership are preferred during non-crisis periods, transformational, visionary and agile leadership are favoured during crisis periods. While the majority of participants preferred female candidates for high-risk managerial positions, it was determined that this preference was based not so much on gender as on merit-based indicators such as education, experience, expertise, leadership capacity and reliability. The research findings suggest that the glass cliff cannot be explained by discrimination alone; it is a multidimensional phenomenon linked to perceptions of merit, crisis management skills, organisational support and expectations of symbolic change.

Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı, mobilya sektöründe görev yapan kadın yöneticilerin cam uçurum olgusuna ilişkin algılarını liderlik, cinsiyet ve etnik köken bağlamında incelemektir. Araştırma nitel araştırma deseniyle yürütülmüştür. Veriler Bursa ili İnegöl ilçesinde faaliyet gösteren mobilya üretim işletmelerinde orta düzey yönetici olarak çalışan 15 kadın yöneticiyle gerçekleştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Veri toplama sürecinde yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme sorularının yanı sıra senaryo tekniğinden yararlanılmış ve katılımcılara kriz yaşayan kurgusal bir mobilya işletmesinde fabrika müdürlüğü pozisyonuna yönelik aday değerlendirme süreci sunulmuştur. Elde edilen veriler tematik analiz yöntemiyle çözümlenmiş, tema dağılımları frekans tablolarıyla desteklenmiştir. Bulgular, kadın yöneticilerin liderlik beklentilerinin örgütsel koşullara göre değiştiğini, kriz dışı dönemlerde etkileşimci ve vizyoner liderliğin, kriz dönemlerinde ise dönüşümcü, vizyoner ve çevik liderliğin daha fazla tercih edildiğini göstermektedir. Katılımcıların çoğunluğu riskli yöneticilik pozisyonu için kadın adayları tercih etmiş olmakla birlikte bu tercihin cinsiyetten çok eğitim, deneyim, uzmanlık, liderlik kapasitesi ve güvenilirlik gibi liyakat göstergelerine dayandığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırma bulguları, cam uçurumun yalnızca ayrımcılıkla açıklanamayacağını; liyakat algısı, kriz yönetimi becerileri, örgütsel destek ve sembolik değişim beklentileriyle ilişkili çok boyutlu bir olgu olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Taşdemir, A., İpçioğlu, İ. (2026). Female Managers’ Perceptions of the Glass Cliff: A Qualitative Study in the Furniture Sector. Uluslararası Yönetim Akademisi Dergisi, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 2. https://doi.org/10.33712/mana.1974886

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