#13
The Queen Bee effect has no sting.
A recent study of 8.3 million organisations showed that Queen Bee syndrome— where women leaders treat other women poorly, either doesn’t exist or occurs minimally. In fact, women leaders in public organisations were more likely to employ women in top and middle management positions. And when men and women were treated equally, the Queen Bee effect was not present at all.
RESEARCH.
Mother Nature Needs Her Daughters: A Homeward Bound Global Review and Fact Sheet Investigating Gender Inequality in STEMM
Prepared by Fabian Dattner, Homeward Bound CEO and Co-founder;
Dr Mary-Ellen Feeney, Jacobs Group (Australia); and
Professor Tonia Gray, Centre for Educational Research, Western Sydney University.
Compiled by Homeward Bound Alumni from 2018 & 2019
Copies can be download at https://doi.org/10.26183/5d22d5fbe2349
The Friendships of Women
Alger WR. (2012) The Friendships of Women; Schopenhauer A, and Saunders TB. (2011), The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer: The Wisdom of Life.
Queen Bees and Alpha Males: Are successful women more competitive than successful men?
However, numerous studies suggest that rather than contributing to gender inequality, the queen bee effect is a direct consequence of pervasive gender inequality in most workplaces. It is also important to note that the behaviour is NOT inherent to women and NOT a direct manifestation of female competitiveness in the workplace. For example, Queen Bees are more inclined to identify with other successful women, even though these women may be their direct competitors.
MEDIA.
The immortal – and false – myth of the workplace Queen Bee
THE CONVERSATION – Women leaders are often portrayed in popular culture as suffering from Queen Bee Syndrome (think Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada). The media is filled with advice about “what to do if you work for a Queen Bee.” But what if the Queen Bee isn’t real? Or at least she’s sorely misunderstood?
https://theconversation.com/the-immortal-and-false-myth-of-the-workplace-queen-bee-129680
Why Women (Sometimes) Don't Help Other Women
THE ATLANTIC – When men battle it out, they are seen as engaging in healthy competition and vigorous debate. When women do the same things, they are Mean Girls locked in a heated catfight. These perceptions that women are backstabbing and conniving can lead people to believe that workplace disagreements between women are especially damaging.
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/queen-bee/488144/
SHARE YOUR STORY.
How have you experienced this gender fact in your life or in your workplace?
Share your story, or how your organisation has overcome this fact.
New research? Let us know.
SHARE THIS #GENDERFACT.
It’s time to give women in STEMM a bigger voice. Share these facts with everyone you know. Shout it out loud. Be heard. Rally together. Pass it to your peers, your networks and social circles.
BECAUSE TOGETHER, WE CAN CHANGE THE STATUS QUO
STart a conversation.
When you hold a GenderFacts.org mug in your hand, you must stop and think about the bias faced by women in the workplace.
What will you do to change it?
STRONGERTOGETHER
It’s time to give women in STEMM a bigger voice. Share these facts with everyone you know*. Shout it out loud. Be heard. Rally together. Pass it to your peers, your networks and social circles.
BECAUSE TOGETHER, WE CAN CHANGE THE STATUS QUO
* Steal the Gender Facts resources from our public TRELLO board. We don’t mind at all.