本研究主要目的在於探討國內企業女性主管人員是否存有「女王蜂症候群（Queen Bee Syndrome）」(任職於原屬男性職業(如管理職位)的女性易顯出排斥同排競爭者的情結)的現象,以及這個現象對甄選決定的影響。研究者採用混合設計之實驗法，即以主管性別（男、女）、應徵者性別（男、女）及應徵者晉升潛能（高、低）等三個獨變項，並以主管對應徵者在有關甄選決定的評量項目為依變項（評量項目有：錄取可能性、資格符合程度、未來的工作績效現、晉升為經理的可能性、共事的愉快程度、以及建議應給予的起始薪資），，請參與受試之主管對所呈現之目標之物作甄選決定評量。最後再將研究結果進行統計分析，以瞭解這個變項對甄選決定的影響，以及驗證女性主管的「女王蜂症候群」現象。 參與本研究之有效受試樣本共152名（男性75名，女性77名）。研究程序以郵寄的方式將兩份研究問卷寄給企業人事單位或用人單位之主管，請主管收到問卷後填寫一份，另一份則請主管轉交給公司內另一名異性主管填寫，隨函附上回郵信封以便填答後寄回；另外，有些問卷則是透過研究者親友所認識的企業工作者，由他們攜問卷至公司後請該公司之男女主管各一名填寫，填寫完異後再郵寄或轉交給研究者。 研究結果發現，（一）.女性應徵者相較於男性應徵者而言，在被建議錄取的可能性、資格符合應徵職位的程度、被預期未來的工作績效表現、以及未來晉升為經理的可能性方面，女性應徵者所得的評價皆與男性應徵者相類似，但是女性應徵者被預期與其共事的愉快程度則是較男性應徵者佳。（二）.高晉升潛能應徵者被錄取的可能性較低晉升潛能應徵者大、高晉升潛能應徵者的資料被認為較符合應徵之職位、高晉升潛能應徵者的工作績效被預期將較優秀、而且未來晉升為經理的可能性也屬高晉升潛能應徵者較大。（三）.男女主管錄取應徵者的可能性、評量應徵者的資格符合應徵職位之程度、預期應徵者未來的工績效表現、未來晉升為經理的可能性、以及主管預期與應徵者共事的愉快程度並不會因為應徵者性別之不同而在評量分數間有差異。女性主管對女性應徵者的評量分數並未有低估情形。（四）.男女主管錄取男女應徵者的可能性、男女主管評量男女應徵者的資格符合應徵職業的程度、未來的工績效表現、晉升為經理的可能性、以及男女主管預期與男女應徵者共事的愉快程度之差異並不會受到應徵者晉升潛能高低之不同而不同。（五）.男女應徵者所得之起始薪資可說是相同而沒有顯著之異。 本研究最後乃針對不符合假設之結果提出討論，並提出本研究之建議，以供未來研究及企業應用之參考。

Jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män på de högre befattningarna är ett väl diskuterat ämne. Forskning kring ämnet har tidigare gjorts i revisionsbranschen, dock inte i lika stor utsträckning i redovisningsbranschen. Uppsatsens syfte blir därmed att undersöka och jämföra kvinnors och mäns karriärmöjligheter i redovisningsbranschen. Studien utgår från en positivistisk syn med ett deduktivt tillvägagångssätt och en kvantitativ metod. För att uppfylla syftet har empiri samlats in genom en enkät som skickats ut till kvinnor och män på renodlade redovisningsbyråer. En intervju har även genomförts för att få bakgrundsinformation om redovisningsbranschen. Teorin som studien utgått ifrån är; Social Role Theory. Den teoretiska referensramen tar upp följande faktorer som kan påverka karriärmöjligheterna; riskbenägenhet, nätverk, familj och homosocialisation/Queen Bee Syndrome. Faktorerna har sedan utmynnats i åtta hypoteser samt varit grunden för enkätens frågor. Hypoteserna testades i en multipel regressionsanalys där karriärmöjligheter utgjorde den beroende variabeln. Resultatet visade att fyra av de åtta hypoteserna hade ett signifikant samband. Kvinnornas utfall blev att nätverk och Queen Bee Syndrome hade ett signifikant samband med karriärmöjligheter samtidigt som riskbenägenhet och nätverk blev signifikanta i männens tester. Studien har därmed kommit fram till att det finns vissa skillnader mellan kvinnors och mäns karriärmöjligheter, dock inte i lika stor utsträckning i redovisningsbranschen som tidigare forskning har kommit fram till. / Equality between women and men at senior positions is a well-discussed topic. Previously research on the subject has been done in the audit industry, but not in the same extent in the accounting industry. The purpose of the essay is to investigate and compare women´s and men´s career opportunities in the accounting industry. This study adopts deductive reasoning and employs a quantitative analysis. To satisfy the purpose, data has been collected through a survey sent to women and men at accounting industries. An interview has also been conducted to get background information about the accounting industry. The study is based on the theory; Social Role Theory. The theoretical framework presents the following factors that can affect woman’s and men´s career opportunities; risk, network, family and homosocialization/Queen Bee Syndrome. The factors have led to eight hypotheses and been the basis for the questions in the survey. The hypotheses were tested in a regression analysis where career opportunities represented the dependent variable. The result showed that four of the eight hypotheses had a significant relationship. Our essay showed that network and Queen Bee Syndrome had a significant relationship with career opportunities, while risk and network become significant in men´s tests. The study has thus concluded that there are some differences between the career opportunities of women and men, but not in the same extent in the accounting industry as the former research.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the attitudes toward women of female managers, the quality of leader-member exchange between female managers and their female subordinates, and female managers¡¦queen bee behavior which female subordinates perceived. Moreover, this study examined seven related moderator variables within the relationship between the attitudes toward women of female managers and their queen bee behavior female subordinates perceived. We collected 140 matched questionnaires from female managers and one of their random female subordinates as a complete set in various industries, and 129 of 140 sets are valid. Our results showed that the attitudes toward women of female managers had a significant positive relationship with queen bee behavior female subordinates perceived, which means the more traditional attitudes toward women female managers hold, the higher degree queen bee behavior their female subordinates perceived. Besides, we found a significant negative relationship between the quality of leader-member exchange between female managers and their female subordinates, and queen bee behavior female subordinates perceived, which indicates the lower the exchange quality between female managers and their female subordinates, the higher degree queen bee behavior female subordinates perceived. And we also found that marital status of female managers and the female portion in their departments moderated the relationship between the attitudes toward women of female managers and queen bee behavior female subordinates perceived. Further practical implications and suggestions are also discussed in this study.

Previous research confirms that gender affects organizations and the overall organizational culture. Organizations are heavily gendered and, in most cases, to the disadvantage of women. It has been shown that gender bias within male-dominated organizations creates the queen bee syndrome, characterized by a lack of solidarity and hostile behavior amongst women. Because gender bias exists in all organizations, it is reasonable to believe it also exists in female-dominated organizations. This study examines the queen bee syndrome in female-dominated organizations, analyzing how the characteristics permeate the organizational culture. The study employs a qualitative research method and collects data through qualitative surveys with LiVO members, a Swedish union organization for managers within the health and care sector. The study aims to build on theory regarding the queen bee syndrome and extend knowledge about gendered organizations and female-dominated organizations. This study suggests that signs of the queen bee syndrome, to some extent, permeate the organizational culture in female-dominated organizations. However, the result also reveals that complexity and duality exist. The triggering structures that create the queen bee syndrome need to be addressed rather than the gender composition to counteract queen bee behavior.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Although several women's leadership studies globally have identified a number of issues that women grapple with in their upward mobility in building a career, including gender differences as these relates to styles of leadership, and the behaviour of senior women toward other women in organisations, there has however not been a South African study documenting the existence of the Queen Bee syndrome within Multi-National Corporates, as a barrier to professional women's career growth. The "queen bee syndrome" is a term that has been used to describe women managers who find themselves within a predominantly male environment and have alienated other women by their behaviour, and are therefore perceived to be a barrier to the advancement of other women coming through the ranks. These women fail to assist other women in their aspirations to advance and do not work towards the advancement and empowerment of other women within the corporate sector. The queen bees are normally very protective of their powerbase and attempt to surround themselves with men. They do not believe in female solidarity behaviour and do not actively seek to mentor or coach other women. The aim of the present study is to investigate the existence of the queen bee syndrome in South African retail banks. The following aspects, as they relate to the queen bee syndrome, are examined: • The establishment of the existence of the queen bee syndrome. • The reason for the existence of queen bees. • The possible implication of the existence of queen bee behaviour for the organisations. A total of 25 women in executive and senior management positions, from South Africa's 5 retail banks, were interviewed for the present study. These women were asked to relate their unique personal experiences and perceptions of queen bee behaviour. The method of Content analysis was used to analyse the responses received through the interviews. The findings of the present study clearly indicated that women still face barriers to advancement within corporate organisations, and that organisations need to make adjustments to their internal cultures, structure and strategy to accommodate the growing workforce of females who are rapidly joining the management ranks. The blame for women's lack of progress into senior positions cannot be generally attributed to males only, as women also need to work at growing, developing, educating and empowering themselves in order to facilitate their own advancement, besides helping, supporting and guiding other women in their career progressions. The present study also found that senior women managers and women executives work actively towards being coaches and mentors to women coming through the ranks and assist them in their development towards management roles. The present study's findings indicated that senior women executives and managers currently support women development agendas within their organisations, and also that the presence of the queen bees did not serve as a stumbling block to the advancement of the sample of women who took part in this study. The study was limited to 5 retail banks of South Africa only. Future studies can investigate other sectors and work at providing tools that will assist women in combating the behaviour of the queen bee. It might also be useful to determine whether women are more supportive or less supportive of other women, and women's issues and programs.

Over the past couple of decades, women have conquered most obstacles in their effort to scale the mountains of leadership and management, seemingly only to fall at the last hurdle by purposefully derailing and mistreating each other. As a large percentage of the workforce in the Western hemisphere is composed of women, the likelihood of experiencing a female superior throughout their career is very high for both men and women, giving rise to the threat of dealing with the Queen Bee Syndrome. The antecedent aim of this master thesis paper is to explore the reasons that give rise to and legitimize the so-called Queen Bee phenomenon, which describes a usually senior female holding a higher leadership-position, who actively opposes the rise of other females in male-dominated organizations, in connection to the Millennial Generation. For this purpose, the methodology approach of Grounded Theory was chosen, first and foremost establishing a theoretical framework comprising literature gathered from academic journals, professional and specific print and sources, as well as relevant writings from contemporary and topical media channels, such as the New York Times newspaper, or the Harvard Business Review. Second, a qualitative empirical study was conducted, for which several women from both the Millennial and its predecessor generation were interviewed, in order to explore opinions on perceived biases against female leaders and managers which, among other things may lead to typical Queen Bee behavior, its provenances, and their implications for business women and organizations. The gained insights are culminating in the emergence of a new theory, according to which female Millennials’ inherent narcissistic tendencies may not hinder them to pursue much-needed mentoring relationships with other females and even suggest the possibility of a diminishment of the dreaded female bully-boss paradigm.