2024 Leadership Development Course-Harnessing the Power of Gender Stereotypes

Harnessing the Power of Gender Stereotypes

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The 2007 California Management Review article by Laura J. Kray, "Leading Through Negotiation: Harnessing the Power of Gender Stereotypes," explores the impact of gender stereotypes on negotiation performance and leadership. The article responds to a 2005 speech by Lawrence Summers, former President of Harvard University, who controversially suggested that women might have less intrinsic aptitude than men in certain high-achievement fields. This pronouncement sparked significant debate and controversy, leading to his resignation and the appointment of Harvard's first female president, Catharine Drew Gilpin Faust, who embodies both traditionally masculine and feminine leadership traits.<br /><br />Kray’s research delves into whether gender differences in negotiation and conflict resolution significantly affect outcomes. It identifies two consistent gender differences: men tend to be more competitive, and they generally achieve better negotiated outcomes than women. Despite being modest, these differences can accumulate over time, affecting career advancement as shown in simulation studies.<br /><br />The discussion introduces the concept of "stereotype threat," where awareness of negative stereotypes can impair performance, particularly in women who worry about confirming such stereotypes. However, when faced with the challenge of stereotype blatancy, women may display "stereotype reactance," showing improved performance to disprove stereotypes.<br /><br />Kray stresses that context influences negotiation effectiveness more than innate gender differences. By adjusting the negotiation environment or the perception of gender roles, performance differences can be minimized or even reversed. Her research suggests that promoting awareness of gender stereotypes and focusing on skills like preparation and perspective-taking can empower negotiators of any gender. This nuanced understanding potentially challenges the assumptions that underpinned Summers' comments, advocating for a more informed discourse on gender and negotiation outcomes.

Keywords

gender stereotypes

negotiation performance

leadership

stereotype threat

stereotype reactance

gender roles

negotiation effectiveness

perspective-taking

Laura J. Kray

Lawrence Summers