Gender and negotiation: a social role analysis

Abstract

Individual differences in negotiation and conflict attract attention, and gender, one of these differences, has emerged as an area of particular importance. The significance of gender in negotiation is due to the salience of male and female roles in society as well as the concern that negotiation gaps foster inequities between men and women in the workplace and other social spheres (Bowles and McGinn, 2008a). Our chapter overviews major research findings relating to how and why women, on average, experience negotiation differently than men. We use social role theories as an organizing framework to summarize findings.We also review contextual and environmental factors to consider in interpreting these findings. Social role theories clarify areas that enhance or ameliorate gender differences. Through this lens we review work on communication mode, negotiation tasks, framing, stereotype threat, advocacy roles, and ambiguity. In addition to considering workplace negotiations, we incorporate discussions of gendered negotiations at home, with family, in political settings, and in negotiation ethics. We conclude with ideas relating to future research. Although many thoughtful reviews have emerged relating to gender and negotiation (e.g., Bowles, in press; Bowles

A meta-analysis on gender differences in negotiation outcomes and their moderators.

“…Borenstein et al, 2009). These findings suggest that further moderators are likely to influence role congruity for women in negotiation beyond the moderators tested in the current research (e.g., Stuhlmacher & Linnabery, 2013). Similarly, with the current study being a meta-analysis and not a laboratory experiment, it is clearly possible that confounds that were not studied or measured may also influence gender differences-despite the observed parallels to previous findings obtained in laboratory experiments (Amanatul lah, 2007;Bowles et al, 2005).…”

“…Self-initiating a negoti ation is less congruent with the female gender role (Stuhlmacher & Linnabery, 2013). Hence, women deviating from the female role by initiating negotiations might also deviate during negotiations and display more assertive behaviors.…”

“…Based on self-categorization theory (e.g., Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987), gender roles should be most salient in male-female dyads because both men and women are present at the bargaining table (Stuhlmacher & Linnabery, 2013). Gender differences in negotiation may thus vary over different dyad gender compositions.…”

The Directness and Oppositional Intensity of Conflict Expression

“…Similarly, a given conflict behavior, say arguing one's point, may be seen as more intense or as more emotional when expressed by a women rather than a man as a consequence of shifting standards (Biernat, 1995;Ragins & Winkel, 2011). Research on gender and negotiation supports this general assertion (Stuhlmacher & Linnabery, 2013). Research on gender and negotiation supports this general assertion (Stuhlmacher & Linnabery, 2013).…”

Stereotypes About Gender and Science

“…Role incongruity has been used extensively to explain prejudice and discrimination against women in leadership roles (see Eagly & Koenig, 2008;Heilman, 2001). A relative lack of fit between stereotypes associated with women and stereotypes associated with successful leaders and other roles has been linked to gender discrimination in hiring (Koch et al, 2015), a devaluation of women's job performance (Heilman, 2001) and resistance to women's influence and agency (Carli, 2015) and negotiation attempts (Stuhlmacher & Linnabery, 2013). As incongruity between the female gender stereotype and the leadership role increases, the more difficulty women have as negotiators (Mazei et al, 2015) and the more prejudice they experience as leaders (Eagly & Karau, 2002).…”