Men maintained a complex network of relationship with people outside of the company. Women maintained a network of relationships with people outside the company quite easily. Stereotypes to overcome Many men still have misgivings about working for a woman executive, according to the Harvard Business Review surveys. Men fear that a woman boss will lack real power. Men think women do not know how to play the business game.
Many men think that women bosses come on too strong and try too hard.
Men are awkward with a female boss and do not know how to treat her. Men feel they lose face when they are subordinate to a woman. This is even more so in men over 50 years of age. When they perceive that the woman is only a token for affirmative action purposes, men feel they must pay the price by having to function under an unqualified manager. Men who report to a woman can be very difficult to please.