Negotiating the Gender Divide: Lessons From the Negotiation and Organizational Behavior Literatures

Abstract

Employment relationships are increasingly personalized, with more employment conditions open to negotiation. Unfortunately, personalization may disadvantage members of some demographic groups. Women, in particular, routinely negotiate less desirable employment terms than men do. The gender gap in employment outcomes is frequently attributed to differences in the ways that men and women negotiate. The authors review the negotiation research demonstrating that women are disadvantaged in negotiations and the organizational behavior research examining the backlash experienced by agentic women. They use the stereotype content model and expectancy violation theory to explain why "best practice" ne..