You thought the little spat between you and your co-worker last week was over and done. Maybe not. A new study suggests that it may have left a lasting residue in your office—especially if your argument was with another woman.

It appears that women in particular are perceived negatively when it comes to workplace conflict, according to research conducted by the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. It's that old female “catfight” stereotype that seems to persist, even at work.

Researchers asked both men and women to assess one of three workplace conflict scenarios between managers in a consulting firm—one male-male, one male-female and the other female-female. The results, published in the latest edition of the journal Academy of Management Perspectives, showed that participants expected significantly more negative implications when the conflict was between two women, versus the other two categories. And the negative perceptions toward female-female conflicts were equally shared between men and women. 

With far too few women occupying top positions in major companies, the study suggests that these negative stereotypes may be adding additional barriers to women’s career success. If women are perceived by men and women as not getting along well with one another, it could affect companies' motivation to hire them. The study findings offer an opportunity to increase awareness of persistent female stereotypes and perhaps motivation to find ways to dispel them. 

How do you view these study results? Do arguments between women at your workplace get a bad rap? Tell us about it in the comments below!