The success of women in the work place has been analyzed, researched, and talked about over the years.  Authors L. Cronin and H. Fine summed up their perspective in detailed chapters covering subjects like the “uneven playing field” to “men’s homosocial behavior.”  The rules, although the equality issue has been changed, are still played the same.

The rules of the game are gender neutral – be a team player, commitment to the job, develop mentors and advocates, and cautiously challenge the power to be.  However, when the rules are play by men – the success is more evident.  Women have made strides with no apparent success. 

Cronin and Fine state in Chapter 1 “the inequities between men and women and the stubborn disparities in their achievement.”  The problem is carried forward into Chapter 2 and has the authors detailing that men and women try to correct this incorrect predicament.  Men do not have conscious prejudices against women. They conclude it must be in their make up.”  Women, like men, look for inadequacies explaining their suboptimal record (Cronin and Fine, 2010, pp.48-49).  Chapter 3 introduces the male proving ground in the work place.  To prove their manhood, men enact the “homosocial” behaviors of distancing themselves from all things feminine, seeking the approval of other men (Cronin and Fine, 2010.  In turn this causes gender-neutral rules to become parity paradoxes for women.

The next five chapters detail several work place paradoxes – Team player – team supporting is valued while team undermining is sanctioned.  Women are stuck between keeping a second-tier role that underutilizes versus speaking up and violating the first rule of teamwork.  Mentors ad Advocates – the make or break of careers.  Women do not attract male mentors because most male mentors seek out male protégés.  Commitment to the Job – male dedication to work is rarely question regarding their parenting or commitment to family. However if women are committed questions are raised regarding their character.  Bonding supports a whole set of issue for women.  When they bond with other women, they reinforce their differences with men; however, should they try to be “one of the boys” they also alienate men.  Challenging the Power – the lack of organizational power pushes women to challenge the power, however, challenging the power causes them to be marginalized from it (Cronin and Fine, 2010, pp114-123).

Cronin and Fine conclude with the proposal of the “coed company”, an organization model that promises to eliminate these parity paradoxes.

            “Men need to let go of the workplace as a male proving

            ground and women need to give up their sense of victimhood.

            Women and men need to share equally in the rewards and

            responsibilities of the organization, and the organizational

            culture, policies, the sexes, and so in all aspects of organiza-

            tional functioning.

Cronin, L. and Fine, H. (2010) Damned If She Does, Damned If She Doesn’t: Rethinking the Rules of the Game that Keep Women From Succeeding in Business. New York: Prometheus Books, p. 272.