Is It Really a Man’s World? Using Real-Life Negotiations to Reframe the Negotiation Gender Gap

This first-of-its-kind study utilizes a dataset of over 1,000 negotiations from the television show Pawn Stars to analyze the role gender plays in negotiations. The results call into question commonly accepted beliefs about the negotiation gender gap. For example, most studies on the negotiation gender gap consist of hypothetical negotiations in which participants do not experience the real-life consequences of their negotiated outcomes. As the findings of this study attest, drawing conclusions about real-world negotiations from such hypothetical negotiations is problematic. By using a dataset of real-world negotiations, this study provides a valuable framework from which to analyze negotiations and gender bias. The far-reaching ramifications of this study call into question the use of hypotheticals in negotiation studies, proposed solutions to the gender pay gap, how people negotiate differently depending on the gender of their opponents, and negotiation advice specifically offered to women. The methodology for this study allows for further analysis into how men and women negotiate in a real-world setting, such as willingness to walk away from the negotiation, use of a counteroffer rather than accepting a first offer, use of objective language, and implementing cognitive anchoring through an extreme initial offer. Additionally, this study analyzes an aspect of gender discrimination research that is often overlooked—the possibility of counterbalancing gender biases that produce seemingly gender-neutral results. Finally, the findings of this study help rebut the notion that the gender pay gap is simply the result of men’s superior negotiation ability and proclivity to engage in the practice.The findings of this study are particularly timely, as society appears to be at a critical juncture regarding a convergence of factors in the gender pay gap. More women are entering elite roles in which their salaries are largely the result of a negotiation process and not a uniform amount. The steady decline of unions means that more and more workers are responsible for negotiating their own salaries and benefits. The increased rate of job turnover also increases the importance of salary negotiation. Finally, there currently exists uncertainty regarding the ability to use negotiation ability as a “factor other than sex” affirmative defense under the Equal Pay Act