The role of feminine charm in the negotiating process for women

A recent study from the Haas School of Business has found that feminine charm aids women when they are negotiating. Numerous studies have documented that women face a "double-bind" when they negotiate. If they act assertively in their best interests (a winning strategy for men), they are perceived as unlikable and consequently pay a negotiating penalty. If they fail to negotiate assertively, their interests are not taken seriously and their negotiation outcomes are poor (1, 2, 3). The authors of this recent study suggest that the use of feminine charm, a combination of friendly and flirtatious behavior, simultaneously communicates personal agency and willingness to cooperate with negotiating partners, allowing women to escape this "double-bind". Read more at:

The Daily Californian: Flirting improves chances of successful negotiations, Haas study finds

Kray LJ, Locke CC, and Van Zant AB. (2012) Feminine Charm: An Experimental Analysis of its Costs and Benefits in Negotiations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 38(10): 1343 - 1357.

Works Cited:

1. Rudman L. A. (1998). Self-promotion as a risk factor for women: The costs and benefits of counterstereotypical impression management. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 629-645.

2. Rudman L. A., Glick P. (1999). Feminized management and backlash toward agentic women: The hidden costs to women of a kinder, gentler image of middle managers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1004-1010.

3. Bowles H. R., Babcock L., Lai L. (2007). Social incentives for gender differences in the propensity to initiate negotiations: Sometimes it does hurt to ask.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 103, 84-103.