Gender Triggers in Negotiation

Dozens of female CEOs and other high-level executives have told us about their experiences negotiating in traditionally masculine contexts where standards and expectations were ambiguous. Their experiences varied according to the gender triggers that were present in the negotiations.

A founder of a large grocery chain had difficulty securing loans to open her first three stores.

• Banking is an industry dominated by men, where norms reinforce masculine values surrounding power and money. To her detriment, the woman’s loan requests triggered these masculine stereotypes. “It was only starting in store four that I was able to finally get funding from a bank,” she said.

By her fourth round of negotiations, ambiguity had been reduced on both sides of the table.

The entrepreneur better understood how the loan process worked, and the bank was impressed by the entrepreneur’s proven track record.

In other situations, gender triggers cue superior performance by women.

A leader in the advertising industry reminisced about her early days as an unknown within her firm and industry.

• When she began focusing on the retail business, her male colleagues asked her to take part in pitches and credited her with their success. Historically, the realm of female clerks, retail offered a setting in which others expected this female executive to excel.

Many factors affect negotiation success. But even for exceptionally talented executives, when ambiguity is high, gender triggers play a critical role.

As women enter historically male industries in greater numbers, gender triggers cuing superior performance by men should lessen, equalizing opportunities for men and women.

Related Article: Neutralizing Gender Differences in Negotiation ^[2]