26°c Partly cloudy
18°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Don't flirt? It can hurt your chance of success
Mad Men's Joan Holloway knows all about the fine art of flirting. (HANDOUT / POSTMEDIA NEWS)
It's the hoariest of clichés, but a new study finds women can indeed flirt their way to success.
Just as Mad Men's Joan Holloway charms the pants off her adversaries (sometimes literally), researchers say the right balance of friendliness and flirtation gives women an edge in mixed-sex negotiations. Across multiple experiments with nearly 300 people, "feminine charm" -- think flattery, warmth, body language, playfulness and sex appeal -- helped female participants create better impressions and improve their economic outcomes.
In one hypothetical scenario, for example, the technique resulted in male car-sellers accepting $1,077.08, on average, from a female buyer compared to $1,279.90 when a neutral negotiating approach was used.
"Just being friendly, women run the risk of people thinking they're pushovers," says lead author Laura Kray, a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley.
"But when friendliness is balanced with flirtation, which is a signal of dominance and confidence and self-regard, then they actually do better."
Previous research paints a real dilemma for female negotiators: A stereotypically masculine approach sees them less liked or considered overly demanding, while being stereotypically feminine sees them dismissed as too nice or easy prey. Kray's paper -- thought to be the first empirical study of its kind -- addresses the latter, presenting evidence flirtation can mitigate those penalties.
In one experiment with 100 students in an MBA negotiation course, males and females were equally likely to rely on personal charm in their bargaining style. But where males neither benefited nor were harmed by the technique, females who used it to seek compliance were evaluated as more effective by their negotiating partners.
Kray also found, in a number of experiments, that when women's behaviours were seen as more friendly than flirtatious, it led to worse economic outcomes.
The study, to appear in the October issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, notes even Madeleine Albright, the first woman to be named U.S. Secretary of State, admitted in 2009 to having used flirtation as a tool for international diplomacy when in power.
Some feminist thinkers, however, suggest this step forward at the bargaining table is actually a step backward for women.
"To exercise 'feminine charm' or to flirt with men, one has to cater to a man's ego, flatter him. This is a subservient position to be in, not a position of power," says Chloe Taylor, assistant professor of women's studies at the University of Alberta.
"Rather than trying to determine whether women should flirt when negotiating with men, we should be problematizing the fact that men give preferential treatment to women who do flirt, and that men penalize women who don't flirt, while men are not required to be sexual in negotiations to get the deal."
Kray acknowledges that to be overtly sexual is demeaning and can have negative professional consequences. But she argues there are "shades of grey" to the approach.
"When I present this to audiences of women executives, and I say, 'Why don't you think about flirting a little bit?' loosening up is what I mean," says Kray. "People under-appreciate the value of playfulness."
-- Postmedia News
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 28, 2012 A19
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 49 articles for today)
HBO and James Gandolfini's managers say the actor famous for 'The Sopranos' has died in Italy
7:25 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Community's children apprehended by province
- Kids of St. Ignatius make Sweet gesture to beloved crossing guard
- 'Shocking' half of First Nations kids living in poverty, new study finds
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Child in critical condition after West End crash
- Winnipeg man given 2-year sentence for coma-inducing 'sucker punch'
- Toronto woman dead in rural Manitoba ATV wreck
- Man convicted of drunk driving in Henderson pile-up
- RCMP say woman deliberately murdered her sister with her car
- Bomber fans wowed by new stadium
- Portage Ave. stretch re-opens after Friday-night bomb scare
- Young girl found dead on railway tracks
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Two people killed in crash north of Winnipeg
- Two Winnipeg teens identified as victims of crash
- HSC Home Lottery winners announced
- Father, daughter seriously injured in ATV crash
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- Mountie hospitalized, dog euthanized after crash near Saskatoon
- New crowd plan for Taylor Swift get-together
- Court told driver hysterical after vehicle fatally hit highway worker
- Sobey clan to alter city market
- Accounts and accountability: UK committee says bankers must take more responsibility
- Only one workshop to be held on vacant land at The Forks
- Tory attacks on Trudeau boomerang, raise questions about PMO involvement
- Métis ready to ring bell again
- Community's children apprehended by province
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- Sobeys gobbles up Safeway
- Basic arithmetic back in class
- Priest kept silent about accusations against Storheim, court hears
- Geothermal heat coming to some Manitoba First Nations
- Spiralling cost of land raises new home prices
- Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits north, with temps topping 80 degrees (26C) in Anchorage
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- Rogers and MTS announce new network sharing agreement
- $110-K worth of nickel plates stolen from Thompson mine
- New owner for lumber stores
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Door openers being used to break into garages, police warn
- Province formally opens Mental Health Crisis Response Centre
- Hailstorm wreaks havoc on Winnipeg garden centre
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- App could give Winnipeggers chance to report bad parking, get paid
- At 55, I'm wise to what's real in life
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.