Asians don't ask? Relational concerns, negotiation propensity, and starting salaries.

Abstract

In the U.S., Asians are commonly viewed as the “model minority” because of their economic prosperity. We challenge this rosy view by revealing that certain Asian groups may be susceptible to lower starting salaries. In Study 1, we analyzed 19 class years of MBAs who accepted full-time job offers in the U.S. At first glance, Asians appeared to have starting salaries similarly high as Whites’. However, a striking gap emerged once we distinguished between East Asians (e.g., ethnic Chinese), Southeast Asians (e.g., ethnic Vietnamese), and South Asians (e.g., ethnic Indians): Whereas South Asians started with the highest salaries of all ethnicities, East/Southeast Asians were near the bottom. This salary gap was mediated by East/Southeast Asians’ propensity to not negotiate due to higher relational concerns. Importantly, negotiation predicted higher salary for each of the three groups (East/Southeast Asians, South Asians, and Whites). In further support of negotiation propensity as a mechanism, we identified industry as a boundary condition: The salary gap was not observed for consulting jobs, where MBA starting salaries are typically standard and non-negotiable. The non-consulting salary gap between East/Southeast and South Asians was estimated to be $4,002/year, a sizable difference that can compound over career life. Study 2 found similar results in a non-MBA sample while further accounting for individuals’ bargaining power (e.g., the number of alternative offers, the highest alternative offer). In revealing the differences between East/Southeast and South Asians, this research moves beyond the predominant West-versus-East paradigm and reveals a more complex reality underneath Asian prosperity.

The Surprising Underperformance of East Asians in US Law and Business Schools: The Liability of Low Assertiveness and the Ameliorative Potential of Online Classrooms

“…Second, we extend the literature on the Bamboo Ceiling (9,37,41,52). While previous studies focused on EAs' underrepresentation in leadership (9,41), the current studies revealed EAs' underperformance in the classroom.…”

“…Third, we contribute to the literature on cultural psychology by elucidating the role of cultural background in academic performance in professional schools. Moreover, we move beyond the East-West contrast to expose differences within the "Asian" umbrella (9,41,52,55). In light of the current findings, future studies should distinguish between EAs and SAs both theoretically and empirically (e.g., when collecting demographic information and conducting analyses).…”

A creativity stereotype perspective on the Bamboo Ceiling: Low perceived creativity explains the underrepresentation of East Asian leaders in the United States.

“…This increasingly influential framework differentiates between three types of cultures: dignity, face, and honor cultures (Aslani et al, 2013(Aslani et al, , 2016Leung & Cohen, 2011;Lu, 2023;Yao et al, 2017). The framework posits that while dignity cultures correspond to individualistic cultures like the United States, face and honor cultures represent two distinctive forms of collectivistic culture (Y.-H. Kim & Cohen, 2010;Leung & Cohen, 2011;Yao et al, 2017).…”

“…By contrast, heavily impacted by Confucianism, face cultures (e.g., EA cultures) emphasize conformity, humility, and acceptance (Leung & Cohen, 2011;Lu, 2023). These cultural values are reflected by EA proverbs "The boughs that bear most hang lowest" and "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down"-in clear contrast to the American proverb "Don't hide your light under a bushel" (H. Kim & Markus, 1999;Markus & Kitayama, 1991).…”

Diversity climate affords unequal protection against incivility among Asian workers: The COVID‐19 pandemic as a racial mega‐threat

“…Thus, we also contribute to research by spotlighting Asian workers' experiences of incivility during the pandemic, where heightened xenophobia against this group has been documented (e.g., Dhanani & Franz, 2020; Nguyen et al, 2022) and calls have been raised to understand its causes in order to develop interventions to protect this group (e.g., Sinclair et al, 2020). Additionally, there is a tendency in the literature to treat all Asians as a monolithic or homogenous group, ignoring within‐group differences (e.g., Lu, 2022; Lu et al, 2020). However, research has shown that the invalidation of interethnic differences is a frequent microaggression experienced by Asian individuals that negatively affects their health and well‐being (Ong et al, 2013).…”