This results in an abeyant model of thinking at the organizational level, which tends to view white women more like white men and women of color more like white women. Sexism does not impact European-American women and women of color in the same way. Women of color tend to be more sensitive to sexism because of racial discrimination and more sensitive to racial discrimination because of the sexism that they experience. If a woman of color makes a mistake, it is often blamed on her gender and race. Women of color are often placed in positions without clear job definitions, without appropriate budgets, and without upward job mobility.
Managers tend to promote individuals who fit their own image.
Often women of color do not fit these subjective molds. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the higher one rises in a corporation, the more subjective the criteria for advancement. Women of color and white women have different cultural backgrounds and therefore respond differently to the same experiences. This is not recognized in a work environment that is designed for the Anglo male. When a situation arises where there is competition between the two, the women tend to withdraw.