In others, there is too much water from gender conflict going under the bridge. Today, benefits once identified with a certain sex may or may not exist in the organization. Men and women feel protected by their gender association in some situations and vulnerable in others. Being male is no longer the advantage it once was. Advancing women through the organization leaves men feeling downright outcast.
Women feel the vulnerability in a different way.
Yet downsizing through attrition and early retirement programs may create opportunities for women. Opportunities Divided Opportunities for one sex mean road blocks for the other. When downsizing takes place, women find themselves at the mercy of an established working world culture. Shirley Peterson, vice president of business practices at Northrop Corporation, describes what frequently happens. The old-boy network kicks in when decisions are made about who's to leave and who's to stay.