A free UQ School of Psychology public lecture tomorrow, Wednesday, July 21 will examine some of the challenges facing female leaders in large companies.
The lecture, presented by Dr Alex Haslam, Professor of Social Psychology at The University of Exeter, will discuss issues surrounding an alarming trend for women to be given leadership positions that are more risky and precarious than those given to men.
The trend, commonly referred to as the ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon, reflects the reality that women are more likely to be placed in leadership positions in companies that are in financial trouble.
This has created a perception that companies with more female board members perform worse on stock-based measures of performance than those with primarily male board members.
Research has revealed that as a result investors often devalue companies that have female board leaders.
Dr Haslam’s lecture will review some of the evidence of the ‘glass cliff’ phenomenon, as well as its social psychological basis and economic consequences.
Drinks and canapés will be offered from 6-7pm, moving through to the public talk from 7-8pm and concluding with an opportunity for guests to ask Professor Haslam questions about the topic.
Dr Haslam is Professor of Social Psychology at The University of Exeter and a former Commonwealth Scholar at Macquarie University (Sydney) and Jones Scholar at Emory University (Atlanta).
He is on the board of 10 international journals and together with numerous colleagues has published extensively in the areas of leadership, motivation, communication, power, stereotyping, group conflict, stress and prejudice.
Dr Haslam has two books currently in production: The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity, Influence and Power (with S.Reicher and M. Platow) and The Social Cure: Identity, Health and Well-being (with J. Jetten & C. Haslam).
The event willl be held at the the Terrace Room, Level 6, Sir Llew Edwards Building, University Drive, St Lucia on Wednesday July 21, from 6pm-8.30pm.
To attend, please contact Dorothy Bathgate, at UQ’s School of Psychology on 3365 6220 or email d.bathgate@psy.uq.edu.au
Media: Helen Burdon 3346 9279.
