It’s a phenomenon well-known to women in offices the world over.
Now, scientists say they have proof that ‘Queen Bee syndrome’ really does exist.
A study by researchers at Arizona University confirms women are meaner to each other than they are to their male colleagues.
The research found that female ‘Queen Bee’ employees who want to get to the top of their profession tend to target other women who act dominant.
Women in the workplace are more likely to be rude to other women, a new study has found, confirming the existence of ‘Queen Bee syndrome’. Female employees tend to target fellow women who go against the grain, acting more like men to get to the top of their career (stock)
Researchers from the University of Arizona set out to examine who was rudest to women in the workplace across three studies.
Men and women who were in full time employment answered questions about the ‘incivility’ they experienced at work during the last month.
Experts found that women target other women who are assertive and dominant, subverting traditional gender stereotypes.
Men, however, were more polite to other men who are submissive.
This suggests men actually get a social credit for partially deviating from their gender stereotypes, a benefit that women are not afforded.
Allison Gabriel, assistant professor of management and organisations at the university, said: ‘Studies show women report more incivility experiences overall than men, but we wanted to find out who was targeting women with rude remarks.
‘We found consistent evidence that women reported higher levels of incivility from other women than their male counterparts.
‘In other words, women are ruder to each other than they are to men, or than men are to women.
‘This isn’t to say men were off the hook or they weren’t engaging in these behaviours, but when we compared the average levels of incivility reported, female-instigated incivility was reported more often than male-instigated incivility by women.’
Queen Bee syndrome arose out of psychological studies conducted in 1973.
It describes a woman in a position of authority who views or treats colleagues and subordinates more critically if they are female, according to psychologist Dr Audrey Nelson.
In encompasses behaviours ranging from women disparaging typically feminine traits to being unsupportive of moves to address gender inequality.
Work rudeness can cost businesses an estimated $14,000 (£10,000) per employee, experts say. Evidence emerged that companies may face a greater risk of losing female employees who experience female-instigated incivility (stock image)
The ultimate Queen Bee is a woman who makes it to the top of her profession, but refuses to help other women reach the same heights.
The questions volunteers were asked were about co-workers who put them down or were condescending, made demeaning or derogatory remarks, ignored them in a meeting or addressed them in unprofessional terms.
Each set of questions was answered twice, once for male co-workers and once for female co-workers.
Participants were asked to complete trait inventories of their personalities and behaviours to determine if there were any factors that contributed to women being treated uncivilly.
Evidence emerged in the three studies that companies may face a greater risk of losing female employees who experience female-instigated incivility.
They reported less satisfaction at work and increased intentions to quit their current jobs in response to these unpleasant experiences.
Dr Gabriel added: ‘Companies should be asking, “What kinds of interventions can be put in place to really shift the narrative and reframe it?”.
‘Making workplace interactions more positive and supportive for employees can go a long way toward creating a more positive, healthier environment that helps sustain the company in the long run.
‘Organisations should make sure they also send signals that the ideas and opinions of all employees are valued, and that supporting others is crucial for business success.
‘That is, acting assertively should not be viewed negatively, but as a positive way for employees to voice concerns and speak up.’
The full findings of the study were published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.