QUEEN BEE SYNDROME:WORKPLACE CHALLENGES FACED BY FEMALE SUBORDINATES

Abstract

The current study intends to look into the queen bee phenomenon in academic sector of Pakistan. The study documented the lived experiences of female college teachers regarding Queen Bee phenomenon at the workplace. In this qualitative research, data was collected through semi structured interview guide to explore this phenomenon. Data was collected from those working women who have at least 2 years of experience by using purposive sampling technique. The data for this qualitative study were collected from 17 participants.  Participants were female college teachers from public and private academic institutions in Punjab, Pakistan. These participants shared three major themes about their experience of Queen Bee syndrome. They shared that Queen Bee syndrome has affected their professional and personal lives. The findings also revealed that female leaders were not considerate about their subordinates’ issues. Furthermore, unwelcomed workplace and unfair environment cause continuous stress.