To be a bully or a boss: Does professional identity strength mitigate the Queen Bee Phenomenon?

Abstract

This research addresses the cognitive mechanisms that underlie, and the mitigating factors that impact the Queen Bee Phenomenon, wherein token women indicate lower hiring intention towards junior-level women. Previous work demonstrates that the so-called Queen Bee Phenomenon is explained by collective value threat, which is the concern that other women may engage in stereotype-affirming behaviors (Duguid, 2011). This research asserts that to the degree that token women identify with their gender, an exclusionary bias towards other women will decrease. Specifically, that gender identity strength will weaken token women's level of collective value threat, which increases their intention to hire other women. This research quantitatively test's professional and gender identity strength's impact on the relationships between token status, collective and competitive value threat, and hiring intention towards junior-level women. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms and mitigating factors of the Queen Bee Phenomenon and, ultimately, the mechanisms that hinder the advancement and inclusion of women in the workplace.