Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (PhD)

Chair

Alex Oldham

Keywords

Women leaders, leadership, queen bee, queen bee phenomenon, organizational culture, leadership styles

Disciplines

Business | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the lived experiences of women leaders in higher education administration who have experienced the queen bee phenomenon. The theory guiding this study was Tajfel’s social identity theory as it relates to women leaders in public higher education administration. The central research question aimed to explore the lived experiences of women in higher education leadership roles who have experienced the queen bee phenomenon. This hermeneutical phenomenological study included 10 participants who were administrators in public higher education institutions in the United States. Data was collected through semi-structured, individual interviews, journal entries, and document analysis. Individual interviews and journal entries were transcribed, and themes were derived through inductive coding and categorization. The documents were systematically reviewed and aligned with the data provided by participants in interviews and journal entries. Participants’ experiences were unique, yet similar in the negative impacts on their career trajectories. Four major themes were discovered in the research: Women Leaders Experienced Destructive Behaviors, Women Leaders Desire Success for Others, QBP Happens in Male- and Female-Dominated Institutions, and Group and One-on-one Behavior of Women Leaders. The data produced support the idea that women in public higher education administration experience the queen bee phenomenon.

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