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On the cultural basis of gender differences in negotiation

Author

Listed:
  • Steffen Andersen

    (Copenhagen Business School
    CPER)

  • Seda Ertac

    (Koc University)

  • Uri Gneezy

    (University of California, San Diego)

  • John A. List

    (University of Chicago
    NBER)

  • Sandra Maximiano

    (University of Lisbon)

Abstract

We study how culture and social structure influence bargaining behavior across gender, by exploring the negotiation culture in matrilineal and patriarchal societies using data from a laboratory experiment and a natural field experiment. One interesting result is that in both the actual marketplace and in the laboratory bargaining game, women in the matrilineal society earn more than men, at odds with years of evidence observed in the western world. We find that this result is critically driven by which side of the market the person is occupying: female (male) sellers in the matrilineal (patriarchal) society extract more of the bargaining surplus than male (female) sellers. In the buyer role, however, we observe no significant differences across societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Steffen Andersen & Seda Ertac & Uri Gneezy & John A. List & Sandra Maximiano, 2018. "On the cultural basis of gender differences in negotiation," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 21(4), pages 757-778, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:expeco:v:21:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s10683-017-9547-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10683-017-9547-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steffen Andersen & Seda Ertac & Uri Gneezy & John A. List & Sandra Maximiano, 2013. "Gender, Competitiveness, and Socialization at a Young Age: Evidence From a Matrilineal and a Patriarchal Society," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(4), pages 1438-1443, October.
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    14. Binglin Gong & Huibin Yan & Chun-Lei Yang, 2015. "Gender differences in the dictator experiment: evidence from the matrilineal Mosuo and the patriarchal Yi," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 18(2), pages 302-313, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Demirović, Melisa & Rogers, Jonathan & Robbins, Blaine G, 2022. "Gender and Gender Role Attitudes in Wage Negotiations: Evidence from an Online Experiment," SocArXiv 7esb9, Center for Open Science.
    2. Leanne Roncolato & Alex Roomets, 2020. "Who will change the “baby?” Examining the power of gender in an experimental setting," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 823-852, September.
    3. Donata Bessey, 2023. "Hierarchies and decision-making in groups: experimental evidence," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Najib A. Mozahem & Moniat El Noufous K. El Masri & Nazhat M. Najm & Samah S. Saleh, 2021. "How Gender Differences in Entitlement and Apprehension Manifest Themselves in Negotiation," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 587-610, June.
    5. John List, 2022. "2021 Summary Data of Natural Field Experiments Published on Fieldexperiments.com," Natural Field Experiments 00747, The Field Experiments Website.
    6. Andrzej Baranski & D.J. da Cunha Batista Geraldes & Ada Kovaliukaite & James Tremewan, 2021. "Experiment on Gender Representation in Majoritarian Bargaining," Working Papers 2102, Utrecht School of Economics.
    7. Quinn A. W. Keefer, 2022. "Sex Differences in High-Level Managerial Jobs: Evidence From Professional Basketball," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 23(3), pages 301-328, April.
    8. Lata Gangadharan & Tarun Jain & Pushkar Maitra & Joe Vecci, 2022. "Lab-in-the-field experiments: perspectives from research on gender," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 31-59, January.
    9. Steffen Andersen & Julie Marx & Kasper Meisner Nielsen & Lise Vesterlund, 2021. "Gender Differences in Negotiation: Evidence from Real Estate Transactions," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(638), pages 2304-2332.
    10. Schwieren, Christiane & Klonner, Stefan & Pal, Sumantra, 2020. "Equality of the Sexes and Gender Differences in Competition: Evidence from Three Traditional Societies," VfS Annual Conference 2020 (Virtual Conference): Gender Economics 224523, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. McGee, Andrew & McGee, Peter, 2023. "Gender Differences in Reservation Wages in Search Experiments," IZA Discussion Papers 16577, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Anne‐Sophie Bruno & Nathalie Greenan & Jeremy Tanguy, 2021. "Does the Gender Mix Influence Collective Bargaining on Gender Equality? Evidence from France," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 479-520, October.
    13. Difang Huang & Zhengyang Bao, 2020. "Gender Differences in Reaction to Enforcement Mechanisms: A Large-Scale Natural Field Experiment," Monash Economics Working Papers 08-20, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    14. Maitra, Pushkar & Neelim, Ananta & Tran, Chau, 2021. "The role of risk and negotiation in explaining the gender wage gap," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 1-27.
    15. John List, 2021. "2021 Summary Data of Artefactual Field Experiments Published on Fieldexperiments.com," Artefactual Field Experiments 00749, The Field Experiments Website.
    16. Säve-Söderbergh, Jenny, 2019. "Gender gaps in salary negotiations: Salary requests and starting salaries in the field," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 35-51.
    17. Dindaroglu, Burak & Ertac, Seda, 2024. "An empirical study of sequential offer bargaining during the Festival of Sacrifice," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    18. Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz & Nagore Iriberri, 2023. "Gender differences in alternating-offer bargaining: an experimental study," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 26(4), pages 879-914, September.
    19. Huang, Jennie & Low, Corinne, 2022. "The myth of the male negotiator: Gender’s effect on negotiation strategies and outcomes," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 517-532.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender; Bargaining; Field experiments; Culture;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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