Gender and Persistence in Negotiation: A Dyadic Perspective

Hannah Riley Bowles,Francis Flynn

doi:10.5465/amj.2010.52814595

Hannah Riley Bowles, Francis Flynn

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.52814595

Copy DOI

Abstract

We studied interactive effects of gender in negotiation dyads, theorizing that the degree and manner of a negotiator's persistence are functions of the gender composition of the dyad. Our findings challenge sex-stereotypic perspectives, showing that women persist more with male naysayers than with female naysayers but do so in a stereotypically low-status (more indirect than direct) manner. Women's adaptation of their persistence to naysayer gender appeared functional because increased persistence with male naysayers helped close a gender gap in performance, and female negotiators with high performance adjusted their manner of persistence more than those with low performance.

Highlights

Women’s adaptation of their persistence to naysayer gender appeared functional because increased persistence with male naysayers helped close a gender gap in performance, and female negotiators with high performance adjusted their manner of persistence more than those with low performance
We theorize that the effects of sex stereotypes in negotiation are a product of expectations for the self and other in interaction. Drawing on this interactive interpretation of the effects of sex stereotypes, we propose that women may adjust both the degree and manner of their persistence, depending on a naysayer’s gender
We support the view that the gender composition of a dyad is an important—if not fundamental— situational variable, but we argue that its significance may relate to the meaning, as well as the salience, of gender in context

Summary

Introduction

We examined the manner of persistence, in terms of the extent to which negotiators rely on direct verbal communication or more indirect nonverbal cues to express dissatisfaction with current offers. We focused on these particular elements of the manner of persistence because they are linked theoretically to gender and other forms of social status (Carli, 1990; Falbo & Peplau, 1980; Howard, Blumstein, & Schwartz, 1986; Johnson, 1976). Persistence—in this sense of task perseverance— has long been associated with both individual negotiation performance (Siegel & Fouraker, 1960) and the achievement of joint gains

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion