Battle of the sexes: Gender stereotype confirmation and reactance in negotiations.

Abstract

The authors examined how gender stereotypes affect negotiation performance. Men outperformed women when the negotiation was perceived as diagnostic of ability (Experiment 1) or the negotiation was linked to gender-specific traits (Experiment 2), suggesting the threat of negative stereotype confirmation hurt women's performance relative to men. The authors hypothesized that men and women confirm gender stereotypes when they are activated implicitly, but when stereotypes are explicitly activated, people exhibit stereotype reactance, or the tendency to behave in a manner inconsistent with a stereotype. Experiment 3 confirmed this hypothesis. In Experiment 4, the authors examined the cognitive processes involved in stereotype reactance and the conditions under which cooperative behaviors between men and women can be promoted at the bargaining table (by activating a shared identity that transcends gender).

A social-cognitive approach to understanding gender differences in negotiator ethics: The role of moral identity

“…Although women are disadvantaged in negotiations by negative stereotypes (Kray et al, 2001) and in terms of economic performance under some conditions (Mazei et al, 2015), the current work suggests that at times, women have an ethical advantage at the bargaining table relative to their male counterparts. Additionally, we find that women's stronger moral identities only translate into more ethical behavior when financial incentives do not promote the use of deception, suggesting chronic gender differences in moral identity interact with contextual cues to predict bargaining behavior.…”

“…Beyond being a fundamental mechanism by which resources are divided, women face numerous hurdles in negotiations (Amanatullah & Morris, 2010;Bowles, Babcock, & McGinn, 2005;Kray, Kennedy, & Van Zant, 2014;Kray & Thompson, 2004;Kray, Thompson, & Galinsky, 2001;Tinsley, Cheldelin, Schneider, & Amanatullah, 2009). Additionally, negotiations are a masculine context (Bowles & Kray, 2013), in which men are expected to perform better than women (Kray et al, 2001), and poor performance relative to women can threaten men's sense of masculinity (Kray & Haselhuhn, 2012;Netchaeva, Kouchaki, & Sheppard, 2015). To the extent that unethical tactics are perceived to provide an advantage over competitors, men may therefore be especially likely to use them when negotiating, whereas women may be less inclined to rely on unethical tactics.…”

Stereotypes in Social Psychology

“…Reacting to the stereotype is of course much easier when it is blatantly endorsed or expressed by members of the nonstigmatized group. More often than not, however, the stereotype is conveyed subtly or implicitly and it can be difficult for members of the target group to notice it and therefore to react effectively (Kray, Thompson, & Galinsky, 2001). …”

We specialize in change leadership: A call for hospitalists to lead the quest for workforce gender equity

“…Expecting social censure for violating gender norms, women develop a "fear of the backlash" that alone may shape behavior such that women may not express interest in having a high salary or negotiate for a raise. [27][28][29] …”

“…Expecting social censure for violating gender norms, women develop a "fear of the backlash" that alone may shape behavior such that women may not express interest in having a high salary or negotiate for a raise. [27][28][29] The specific system and institutional barriers that prevent female hospitalists from receiving equal pay and opportunities for leadership are not known, but one can surmise they are similar to those found in other specialties. 10,30,31 The findings of the studies of Burden et al 2 and Weaver et al 4 invite investigation of new questions specific to hospital medicine.…”