What is the Queen Bee phenomenon?

The Queen Bee phenomenon describes women in positions of authority working in male-dominated environments who tend to undermine and treat subordinate women more critically.

According to Ormiston, Queen Bees typically distance themselves psychologically and physically from other women, reinforce the gender hierarchy by stereotyping other women, perceive other women as direct competitors and may even limit the career growth of younger women.

It is believed that these behaviors arise from the historical oppression that women have experienced in male-dominated workplaces, gender bias, or when being a woman is not a central part of the person’s identity.

In academia, there is less representation of women in high ranks and professorship, and studies suggest that women of older generations tend to judge trainees and junior colleagues more harshly, Ormiston said.

One possible explanation for this could be that some women in more advanced positions believe they have faced more sexism and barriers while climbing the ladder to full professorship, while the younger generation “have it easier.” Others believe that their sex and gender are irrelevant to their work and that connecting with other women is not a priority.

Further, leaders who engage in these behaviors and have achieved success in places with strong gender hierarchies often perceive themselves to be different from more junior women.

This can increase feelings of sadness, anger and anxiety among women subordinates, while decreasing the sense of belonging. Being unable to find a positive, supportive woman role model can also make it difficult to visualize a successful career path, which can lead to a distancing from leadership positions and organizations.

Isn’t Queen Bee a gendered term?

While Queen bee is a gendered term, and thus discriminatory, this phenomenon is not specific to women, Ormiston said. It occurs with other marginalized groups who are trying to distance themselves from the social disadvantages of the group to which they are perceived to belong to. Unfortunately, these actions can reinforce existing stereotypes and further promote inequalities.

Does this place an extra burden on women?

Some argue that this label is a response to sexism, adds pressure to adopt “male characteristics” and is a product of gender stereotyping. It can be seen as another way to blame women for hindering the career of other women. Some women are not necessarily “meaner” to women, they are just expected to be nicer and stick to the stereotypes.

It can be a derogatory term for women who are already experiencing discrimination and added challenges because of their sex, Ormiston explained, “These women are already experiencing a lot of difficulties themselves.”

Why is talking about the Queen Bee phenomenon important?

Role models can significantly influence our decisions to pursue a certain career, and to persist when challenges arise. As Dr. Ormiston pointed out, some women leaders feel that their “identities as women are liabilities to career success.”

Women often find themselves identifying other women who can serve as inspiration and who make you feel that you too can thrive in this male-dominated society. As such, it is not uncommon to seek mentorship and guidance from women you look up to.

It is for these reasons, that WiS considered it important to talk about how we as leaders can help support more junior colleagues find their way and thrive in their field. We also wanted to encourage the Martino’s community to reflect about their own biases and think about how we can all be champions to increase diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

So what do we do?

Some steps we can take to combat negative stereotypes include offering to mentor girls and women, acknowledging the presence of gender discrimination in the workplace, encouraging trainings on gender bias and providing resources that can help achieve equity, Ormiston said.

From a top-down perspective, we can build confidence in our subordinates by providing feedback that focuses more on reinforcing positive behavior instead of condemning errors.

From the bottom-up, we must learn to advocate for ourselves to foster our sense of belonging. It is important to remember that it is ok to feel you don’t belong, but that over time you will find people to connect with.