From the course: Challenging Gender Pay Inequity in the Workplace

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Salary negotiation

Salary negotiation

- There is a popular theory that the gender pay gap is largely caused by simply lack of negotiations by women. This theory assumes that men are better at negotiating higher compensation. While research shows some of this is true some of the time, it's often more complicated and goes deeper than that. Additionally, cultural barriers and societal norms do interfere with a woman's ability to negotiate. Often left uncovered, it is the backlash that occurs when women try to negotiate their salaries. They can be seen as too assertive and less likable, which can lead women to simply not negotiating or negotiating less. The employer may also decide not to engage in negotiations altogether. A study done by Harvard showed that women who did negotiate were seen as less nice than women who did not negotiate their salaries. The study participants were also less likely to want to work with a woman who asked for more pay. The study also…

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