‘Next Steps’ for Equality?: The Impact of Organizational Change on Opportunities for Women in the Civil Service

Abstract

The ‘Next Steps’ restructuring programme (1988) has had a fundamental impact on the management and organization of the Civil Service, and on the practice of equal opportunities. The fragmentation of the service into semi‐autonomous agencies has resulted in greater managerial autonomy in relation to staffing issues. Equality initiatives such as part‐time and flexible working patterns, ‘family friendly’ policies, women‐only training programmes and the provision of nurseries are coming under threat due to increased discretion over decision‐making in these areas. Other aspects of restructuring — such as ‘downsizing’— have resulted in a reduction of the middle management layer, making it more difficult for women to breach the ‘glass ceiling’ and access senior posts. The persistence of a hostile managerial sub‐culture to equal opportunities has been instrumental in pushing equality issues to the bottom of the agenda in the current climate of change because of ‘more important’ organizational pressures. Within this context, equality of opportunity for women in the Civil Service has reached a critical stage.