Is There a Glass Cliff in Local Government Management? Examining the Hiring and Departure of Women

• Published date: 01 May 2022
• Author: Lang Kate Yang,Laura Connolly,Jennifer M. Connolly
• Date: 01 May 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13471

Research Article:

Race and Gender

Symposium

570 Public Administration Review • May | June 2022

Abstract: Women are underrepresented in public sector leadership positions, including municipal management.

We examine one explanation that may contribute to gender inequity in the profession—a “glass cliff ” phenomenon

whereby councils are more likely to hire women as managers during difficult times, increasing the likelihood for

women to fail in the position. Using original observational data on municipal managers in Florida, we test whether

municipalities are more likely to hire women during times of fiscal stress and whether women are more likely than

men to leave the position if municipal finances do not improve. Our results show that increasing budget deficits

are associated with municipalities hiring women as managers. Post-appointment, a lack of improvement in the

deficit condition is associated with a higher probability of women, but not men, leaving the position. A glass cliff in

municipal management could be one factor that hinders women from advancing within the field.

Evidence for Practice

• Municipalities are more likely to hire women as managers when faced with increasing budget deficits.

• When deficit conditions fail to improve post-appointment, women have a higher probability than men of

leaving the position.

• The glass cliff may be one barrier to women’s advancement in the field of municipal management, as a

woman who faces a glass cliff may find it more difficult to reach top leadership positions again due to harm

to her professional reputation.

• Objective evaluation metrics that benchmark the assessment of managers to the organizational condition

and trends at the time of hire may be useful for scholars and practitioners alike in mitigating gender biases in

municipal personnel decisions.

Women are underrepresented in leadership

positions across the public sector

(Alkadry, Bishu, and Bruns Ali2019;

Bowling and Beehr2006; DeHart-Davis et al.2020;

Riccucci2009), despite a clear and growing

recognition that a gender-balanced public sector

better represents and serves constituents (DeHart-

Davis et al.2020). Women possess unique skills

and perspectives conducive to innovation (Antil,

Letourneau, and Cameron2014), and can have better

performance outcomes (Herring2009). Increasing

women’s representation in top positions in public

sector organizations improves perceived legitimacy

and policy implementation (Meier and Nicholson-

Crotty2006; Wilkins and Keiser2006). Gender

balance in organizations may also lower instances of

sexual harassment and increase job satisfaction (Antil,

Letourneau, and Cameron2014).

There is a notable lack of gender parity in the field

of municipal management, as fewer than one out

of five local government managers nationwide are

women (International City/County Management

Association2021).1 Municipal managers oversee

the municipal budgeting process and the day-to-

day provision of key public services, such as waste

collection, public safety, public health, and parks

and recreation. Women’s representation in municipal

management warrants further study as the role of

the municipal manager is distinguished from other

public sector leadership positions in a few important

ways. Municipal managers are appointed officials

hired by and serving at the pleasure of a multimember

elected municipal council. Under the terms of

most municipal manager’s employment contracts,

the council can terminate the manager at any time

without cause (Connolly2017). As a result, the

average tenure of a municipal manager is relatively

short (Ammons and Bosse2005). The challenges that

women face in advancing their careers in the field of

municipal management may be different from those

faced by women in state or national public sector

leadership, and thus are worthy of further empirical

examination.

Is There a Glass Cliff in Local Government Management?

Examining the Hiring and Departure of Women

Lang Kate Yang Laura Connolly

Jennifer M. Connolly

George Washington University Michigan Technological University

University of Miami

Jennifer M. Connolly is an Associate

Professor of Political Science in the

Department of Political Science at the

University of Miami. Her research focuses on

local government policy and management.

Email: jmconnolly@miami.edu

Laura Connolly is an Assistant Professor

of Economics in the College of Business

at Michigan Technological University. Her

research focuses on labor economics and

the role of gender in the labor market.

Email: leconn@mtu.edu

Lang Kate Yang is an Assistant Professor

of Public Policy and Public Administration in

the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and

Public Administration at George Washington

University. Her research focuses on state

and local public finance and financial

management.

Email: langyang@gwu.edu

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 82, Iss. 3, pp. 570–584. © 2022 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13471.