she was studying the experiences of women who form small minorities in the corporate sector kanter estimated that when the proportion of minority members reached about they were able to influence decision making autonomously as a group in the s her findings were picked up on by the danish political scientist drude dahlerup dahlerup w ho argued that the critical mass phenomenon could also apply to women who constituted a minority group in politics as for the outcomes that critical mass could produce kanter and dahlerup referred mainly to the possibility that increased numbers would enable women to form supportive coalitions and promote womenrelevant policy change