Abstract:
In many countries women are more likely than men to be appointed to precarious leadership positions associated with management of organizational units that are in crisis, which is called the glass cliff phenomena. The increased number of female leader in Thai organizations lead to the speculation of glass cliff effect. This research aims to investigate this phenomenon in Thai organizations using 200 Thai employees from various organizations in Bangkok as a sample. Findings reveal the tendency of the glass cliff phenomena in Thai organizations but the effect is not as strong as those reported abroad. The probability of choosing the female leader was higher when the organization performance is declining compared to when it is successful. However, when the organization is experiencing a crisis, the perceived suitability of the female and the male leader are not significantly different. If the previous leaders are men, women tended to be more chosen. Those who believe that the trait of a good leader should be communal tend to choose women as leaders in crisis situation.