Measuring the Queen Bee Phenomenon in technically efficient firms: implications from Southeast Asian manufacturers

Abstract

This study examines the “Queen Bee Phenomenon,” that is, Southeast Asian manufacturers having female CEOs and owners. In addition, the buffering effect of female CEOs and owners on manufacturers seeking higher technical efficiencies is also examined in this research. This study uses the fractional regression and two-limit Tobit regression models to examine a combined set of cross-sectional data from surveys conducted by the World Bank, consisting of 3471 manufacturers in Southeast Asia, including those in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Our results find that the “Queen Bee Phenomenon” does not exist in Southeast Asian manufacturing enterprises. Furthermore, manufacturers with higher technical efficiency levels are likely to hire fewer female workers; nevertheless, if female CEOs and owners run these technically efficient firms, hiring more female workers can be noticed. This research demonstrates that globalization through FDI and exports may promote female labor force participation among Southeast Asian enterprises and those seeking greater technical efficiencies.

Keywords:

• Queen bee phenomenon
• female labor force participation
• technical efficiency
• manufacturing firms
• Southeast Asian countries

Acknowledgment

The authors express their appreciation to the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable and insightful feedback, which significantly improved the quality of this work.

Disclosure statement

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to disclose. All coauthors have carefully reviewed and agreed to the content of the research, and there are no financial interests to declare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yot Amornkitvikai

Yot Amornkitvikai is an Assistant Professor (Economics), the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and the Director of the Master of Arts Program in Population Policy and Human Development at the College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University.

Piriya Pholphirul

Piriya Pholphirul is a Distinguished Professor (Economics) and the Executive Director of the Center for Development Economics Studies, National Institute of Development and Administration (NIDA).