The influence of intragroup conflict on career advancement of women in corporate

Abstract

This paper investigates intragroup conflict as a mechanism that influences women's career progression in corporate settings, using as its basis mid-career women in South Africa's retail and wholesale industries. It explores how task and relationship conflicts among women are fuelled by competition for scarce resources, economic pressures, and feelings of rivalry. Building from the Realistic Conflict Theory and Social Identity Theory, this research seeks to explain how such conflicts shape women's workplace experiences and their careers. Through semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, this study found that such conflicts, as those identified with the Queen Bee Syndrome, form a barrier to collaboration, limit mentorship opportunities, and impinge on women's progress in the workplace. The findings suggest these internal conflicts are exacerbated by competitive corporate cultures and gender biases and call for policy changes that allow supports and cooperation among women at work. By addressing both external challenges and internal group dynamics, this study helps understand the barriers to women's advancement in corporate settings. It closes with recommendations for companies to provide an inclusive environment where women can collaborate with each other toward mutual success, and it highlights areas for future research on intragroup conflict in these diverse organizational contexts.