An Empirical Structural Model of Queen Bee Syndrome: Psychological Well-Being as a Mediator of Female Subordinates' Job Performance

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between Queen Bee Syndrome, psychological well-being and job performance among female subordinates working under women leaders. Drawing on demand, resources, model and conservation of resources theory, the study proposes that Queen Bee syndrome operates as a workplace stressor that undermines psychological well-being and affects job performance. Both directly and indirectly, data were collected from corporate professionals working under female leaders through a cross-sectional survey. Establish scale measures of Queen Bee syndrome, psychological well-being and job performance and five-point Likert scale responses. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed using SmartPLS 4. Following a two-stage approach that assessed the measurement model and structural model. The finding shows that psychological well-being has a strong positive influence on job performance, while syndrome exerts a significant negative influence on both job performance and psychological well-being. And indicate a pattern of complementary partial mediation. These findings extend the predominantly qualitative Queen Bee syndrome literature by offering robust quantitative evidence of its psychological and performance-related consequences, and they identify psychological well-being as a key intervening mechanism linking intra gender workplace hostility to performance outcomes. The study contributes theoretically by integrating Queen Bee syndrome within a well-being and performance framework and offers practical implications for organisations, including psychologically safe workplace practices, inclusive leadership, and development and mentoring initiatives aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of behaviour on female employees and, more broadly, on organisational effectiveness.