Negotiation
Research shows that missing an opportunity to negotiate can significantly reduce your opportunities down the road. Research also shows that in many ways, women are wise to think twice before asking: Their negotiation attempts are judged more harshly than those of their male counterparts. Stanford Business Professor Margaret A. Neale clarifies the gendered expectations women face and offers solutions for success. When viewed as problem solving, negotiation moves from being a win-lose game to one of mutual benefit. Neale points to cases where women can use negotiation to their advantage. This material will help you negotiate and advise others — subordinates and peers — on ways to achieve more of what you (and they) want . The goal is to reframe negotiations as problem solving. With this new frame you can inspire new ways — small and large — of practicing negotiating in everyday interactions. By doing so, you will be prepared to package the big asks and improve your chances of getting more of what you want.
Discussion Guide
Discussion Guide
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Skills Guide
Skills Guide
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View Negotiation Resources
Tactics That Will Help You Get A Raise (If You're Female): An article from AOL Jobs outlines the gender-specific techniques women should use when asking for a raise.
A Toolkit for Women Seeking a Raise: The New York Times provides an overview of the gender gap in negotiation and offers negotiating tips for women.
Ask For A Raise? Most Women Hesitate: In this article on asking for a raise, NPR urges women to be friendly when they negotiate and to use silence as a negotiating tool.
Myths and Truths About Negotiation: Professor Margaret Neale dispels commonly held myths as she outlines the role of emotions in negotiation.
How to Attack the Gender Wage Gap? Speak Up: A New York Times article discusses the link between negotiation and the gender gap in wages, arguing that women need to be 'nice' when they negotiate to avoid being penalized.
Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation--and Positive Strategies for Change: Authors Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever outline the gender gap in negotiation and provide strategies for how women can negotiate in their work and personal lives.
Negotiating Rationally: Professor Margaret Neale's book explores the common mistakes made in negotiations and provides ways to avoid these pitfalls.
Negotiating Genius: Author Deepak Malhotra provides how-to steps for preparing and executing successful negotiations.
View Negotiation Biographies
Margaret Neale
ADAMS DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
CO-DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE PROGRAM FOR WOMEN LEADERS
EDUCATION MODULE PRESENTER
FACULTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CENTER FOR WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP
Margaret Neale’s research focuses primarily on negotiation and team performance. Her work has extended judgment and decision-making research from cognitive psychology to the field of negotiation. Neale was the Graduate School of Business John G. McCoy-Banc One Corporation Professor of Organizations and Dispute Resolution from 2000-2012. Trust Faculty Fellow in 2011-2012 and in 2000-2001. Neale received her BS in Pharmacy from Northeast Louisiana University, her MS from the Medical College of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University and her PhD in Business Administration from the University of Texas.
Debi Hemmeter
DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS, LEAN IN
EDUCATION MODULE INTERVIEWEE
Debi Hemmeter has 25 years of executive experience specializing in strategy, marketing, and business development. Prior to joining Lean In, she served as SVP at Bank of America where she led one of the largest retail markets for the bank. Debi also held many leadership and strategy roles at Wells Fargo Bank, PepsiCo, and Sara Lee. Hemmeter lives in Piedmont, CA with her husband Chris and her three teenagers.
Rosmary (Rosie) Roca
MBA STUDENT, STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
EDUCATION MODULE INTERVIEWEE
Rosmary (Rosie) Roca is currently a second year MBA Student at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to business school, she was a Market Research and Strategy Manager for The Kraft Sports Group, owners of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium. In that role, she managed customer loyalty efforts, including Patriots Extra Points and Patriot Place Rewards, and developed and supervised the market research function. She is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for the GSB Chapter of Challenge 4 Charity and is on the leadership team for High Tech Club.
Roca graduated from Harvard College in 2007, with a BA in Government and a citation in French.
Sally Thornton
FOUNDER AND CHIEF CURATOR, FORSHAY
EDUCATION MODULE INTERVIEWEE
CLAYMAN INSTITUTE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Sally Thornton is the Founder and Chief Curator of Forshay, a new recruiting firm that provides resources on-demand. Previously, Thornton co-founded and ran Flexperience, a company that the San Francisco Business Times named a "Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies" in 2010. Thornton supports other female entrepreneurs through her leadership roles at Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, UC Hastings WorkLife Law Board, and as a Board of Advisor role at two start ups: RallyOn, Inc. and SkinnyScoop.com. Thornton is a guest lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Thornton earned her BA in International Relations from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Alicia Morga
FOUNDER AND CEO, NO. 8 MEDIA, INC.
EDUCATION MODULE INTERVIEWEE
Alicia Morga is the Founder and CEO of No. 8 Media, Inc. Formerly, she was the founder and CEO of Consorte Media, Inc., a digital media and marketing company backed by The Mayfield Fund and Sutter Hill Ventures. Prior to founding Consorte, Morga was an investment professional for The Carlyle Group and Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, a corporate attorney for Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and an investment banker at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Recently, Morga was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of the Most Influential Women in Technology by Fast Company. In addition, she created the popular iPhone app,gottaFeeling, published two popular ebooks, and writes an expert blog on leadership for Fast Company.com.
Morga holds a JD from Stanford Law School and a BA from Stanford University.
Yvette Nichols
TALENT TRANSFORMATION LEADER, JC PENNEY
EDUCATION MODULE INTERVIEWEE
Yvette Nichols is responsible for fueling the growth of JCPenney with extraordinary talent. Prior to joining JCPenney in March of 2012, Nichols was a Client Partner and member of Korn/Ferry International’s Retail and Consumer Practice where she specialized in senior-level general management, merchandising and marketing searches. Nichols has also been involved in a number of not-for-profit initiatives and is a Coro Foundation Community Fellow. She previously served as the President of the Board for The Princess Project and on the San Francisco Regional Board for The Women’s Initiative.
Nichols earned a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
View Negotiation References
Constraints and triggers: situational mechanics of gender in negotiation.
Bowles, H. R., Babcock, L., & McGinn, K. L. 2005. Constraints and triggers: situational mechanics of gender in negotiation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 89(6), 951.
Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectation and Pupils' Intellectual Development
Rosenthal, Robert. 1968. Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectation and Pupils' Intellectual Development. 1968. Norwalk, CT: Crown House Publishing.
Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. 1995. Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797–811.
Stereotype susceptibility: Identity salience and shifts in quantitative performance
Shih, M., Pittinsky, T. L., & Ambady, N. 1999. Stereotype susceptibility: Identity salience and shifts in quantitative performance. Psychological Science, 10, 81–84.
Battle of the sexes: Stereotype confirmation and reactance in negotiations
Kray, L.L., Thompson, L., & Galinsky, A. 2001. Battle of the sexes: Stereotype confirmation and reactance in negotiations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80 (6), 942-958.
Reversing the gender gap in negotiation: An exploration of stereotype regeneration
Kray, L. Galinksky, A., and Thompson, L. 2002. Reversing the gender gap in negotiation: An exploration of stereotype regeneration. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 87, 386-410.
Social Incentives for Gender Differences in the Propensity to Initiate Negotiations: Sometimes It Does Hurt to Ask
Bowles, Hannah Riley, Linda Babcock, and Lei Lai. 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 (1): 84-103.
Prescriptive gender stereotypes and backlash toward agentic women
Rudman, L. A., & Glick, P. 2001. Prescriptive gender stereotypes and backlash toward agentic women. Journal of social issues, 57(4), 743-762.
First offers as anchors: the role of perspective-taking and negotiator focus
Galinsky, A. D., & Mussweiler, T. 2001. First offers as anchors: the role of perspective-taking and negotiator focus. Journal of personality and social psychology, 81(4), 657.
The dissatisfaction of having your first offer accepted: The role of counterfactual thinking in negotiations.
Galinsky, A. D., Seiden, V. L., Kim, P. H., & Medvec, V. H. 2002. The dissatisfaction of having your first offer accepted: The role of counterfactual thinking in negotiations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(2), 271-283.
The impact of alternatives to settlement in dyadic negotiation.
Pinkley, R. L., Neale, M. A., & Bennett, R. J. 1994. The impact of alternatives to settlement in dyadic negotiation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 57(1), 97-116.
The role of negotiator aspirations and settlement expectancies in bargaining outcomes.
White, S. B., & Neale, M. A. 1994. The role of negotiator aspirations and settlement expectancies in bargaining outcomes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 57(2): 303-317.
Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide
Babcock, L., and Laschever, S. 2003. Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Negotiating Rationality
Bazerman, M. H. and Neale, M.A. 1992. Negotiating Rationality. New York, NY: Free Press.