The Queen Bee Syndrome in Gender Context: Patriarchal Codes of Competition Between Women

Cumali Kiliã‡, Gönül GÃœL and Ali Davut Alkan

Fiscaoeconomia, 2026, issue 1

Abstract: Queen bee syndrome is a condition characterized by women who discriminate against their female colleagues. In this syndrome, female employees deliberately attempt to distance themselves from other women in upper management positions within their organizations to maintain their own positions. This study examines the concept of gender within the framework of Queen Bee Syndrome (QMS) and examines the patriarchal codes of competition among women. Challenging the assumption that queen bee behavior stems from individual pathology, this research adopts a structural and feminist perspective, arguing that these behaviors are rooted in systematic gender inequalities and patriarchal workplace cultures. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Judith Butler's gender performativity, Simone de Beauvoir's existential feminism, and Sylvia Walby's theory of patriarchy, it analyzes how women in leadership positions internalize masculine norms to survive in male-dominated organizations. The study demonstrates that the competition between women and the loneliness experienced by women leaders are not merely individual psychological reactions but also societal responses to exclusion, identity threats, and institutional pressures. Furthermore, in the context of the contradictions between femininity and leadership, it highlights how competitive behaviors undermine women's solidarity and mentoring relationships. The study argues that queen bee syndrome should be interpreted not as a personal flaw but as a symptom of patriarchal systems and calls for structural reforms to foster inclusive leadership cultures that foster solidarity among women.

Keywords: Queen Bee Syndrome; Gender Reproduction; Intra-Gender Competition; Patriarchy; Feminist Theory; Leadership (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 L10 M10 M12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fis:journl:260105

DOI: 10.25295/fsecon.1719482

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