Spheres of influence: Unpacking gender differences in negotiation

Abstract

What started as a means for understanding the gender wage gap has evolved into a much broader and more nuanced stream of analysis of gender differences in negotiation. Early research clearly documents the different ways that women and men approach their workplace negotiations and the economic and social costs of those differences. However, as our authors detail, this research was the tip of the iceberg. A shift away from compensation negotiations also shifts focus from short-term, transactional relationships to longer-term, personal relationships: friendships, spousal negotiations, and worklife balance negotiations. Stepping away from the manager employee dynamic of compensation negotiations also broadens our perspective on how norms constrain and shape negotiations: the social context within which women negotiate, including the gender of their counterparts, surfaces as an important factor influencing how people approach negotiations. The broader social context also emerges as a determinant of indirect influences on negotiation: perceptions of trustworthiness, the interpretation of verbal and non-verbal communication, and the intersection of gender and culture impact womens experiences at the negotiating table. Finally, taking a process perspective, our authors consider the ways in which women might more effectively manage resistance from others and develop resilience to setbacks in their negotiations.