Research: When Men Have Lower Status at Work, They’re Less Likely to Negotiate

对于男女薪酬差距，通用的解释是：与男性相比，女性更不愿意自行要求加薪。这种观点里存在着一种打动人心的逻辑——只要我们让女性仿照男性，发起更多加薪谈判，差距就会缩小。这是女性谈判培训激增的部分原因之一。例如在2015年，波士顿市长马蒂·沃尔什(Marty Walsh)与美国大学妇女协会(AAUW)签署了为期5年的合作协议，为波士顿市的女性举行免费的薪酬谈判研讨会。这些培训现已在美国各地铺开。

It’s become a popular explanation for the gender-wage gap: Women are less likely than men to self-advocate for a pay raise. It has an appealing logic. If we can get women to negotiate more like men, then the gap will shrink. This is in part why there has been a surge in negotiation trainings for women. For example, in 2015, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh launched a five-year partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to offer free salary negotiation workshops to women in the city of Boston. These trainings are now offered across the nation.

但是，我们和其他人的研究表明，女性不计较薪资并非因为缺乏谈判技能。我们还发现，不是所有男性都觉得应该要求更高薪水。事实上，关于薪资谈判的研究表明，争取更高报酬的特权往往属于受过高等教育的员工，而且，即使这些人（包括男性在内）也不全都为提高薪资而据理力争。

But our research and others’ has shown that it’s not for lack of skill that women don’t negotiate salaries. We’ve also found that not all men feel like they can ask for more pay. Indeed, research on wage bargaining indicates that the potential to negotiate higher compensation is typically a privilege reserved for higher educated workers, and not even all of them — men included — negotiate for higher pay.

为什么有时候女性不肯为提高薪资而谈判？最明显的证据表明，如果她们这样做，更有可能面临社会不满。这与女性的谈判能力无关，而是关乎社会对女性主动要求涨工资所做出的反应。包括我们自己的研究在内，大量调查显示，面试官不愿意与一位要求加薪的女性沟通，而倾向与放弃加薪的女性交流。

The clearest evidence for why women are sometimes hesitant to negotiate for higher pay is that they are more likely to face social backlash for doing so. It’s not about women’s inadequacies as negotiators, but rather about how society treats women when they self-advocate for higher pay. Numerous studies, including our own research, have shown that interviewers report being less inclined to work with a woman who negotiates for higher pay as compared to a woman who lets the opportunity to negotiate pass.

产生这种抵触现象的原因在于，前者被视为违反了“公共”规范性期望，或者说对他人缺乏关心。理想化的女性思维是有意无意地把别人放在自己的前面，我们乐意与符合这一理想模式的女人一起工作。

The reason for this backlash is that women are perceived to violate normative expectations of “communality,” which means concern for others. It is a feminine ideal to put others before oneself and, consciously or unconsciously, we tend to prefer to work with women who fulfill that ideal.

但是，优先考虑他人的利益不仅是对女性的一种社会期望，也是地位低下者（例如拥有更少的财富和更少的权力）在社会中的一种普遍的社交方式。只要地位低下的员工易于相处，乐于服从集体利益，我们就更重视他们的贡献。而对于地位较高的员工，我们更看重他们的自信和领导力。

But putting others before oneself is not only a social expectation for women; it’s a general social prescription for anyone who has lower status (for example, less wealth and less authority) in society. We value more highly the contributions of low-status workers when they are agreeable and serve collective interests. We have more patience for assertiveness and leadership from higher status workers

当然，并不是所有男性都是“高地位”员工。研究发现，在相对精英化的员工（主要指白人、受过大学教育、管理职位的美国候选人）中，要求加薪的女性所造成的负面社会影响大于男性。尽管不是所有员工都符合上述情况，但我们一贯从大学研究人员最容易获得的西方精英样本中归纳出结论。

And, of course, not all men are “high-status” workers. The studies that have found greater negative social effects of negotiating for women than men focus on relatively elite workers (primarily white, college-educated, American candidates for management positions). Even though not all workers fit that profile, we have a tendency to generalize from these types of Western-elite samples that are most accessible to university researchers.

男性也会受到不公待遇

要求加薪的男性是否也会像预期的那样遭到白眼，我们希望对此加以探讨，于是从一些地区收集了数据。被选中的地区是海湾阿拉伯国家，这里的人们选择“当地”或“全球化”雇主时，薪水有着天壤之别。“当地”雇主可能是沙特阿拉伯或阿拉伯联合酋长国的国营企业，“全球化”雇主则是在该地区投资的某家跨国公司。就薪资、权威性和社会尊严而言，为当地雇主服务的当地人（例如沙特和阿联酋的男性公民）往往享有更高地位，为全球化雇主工作的当地人则相反，一概被视为工人。

We wanted to explore whether anticipated backlash also inhibited men from negotiating for higher pay so we collected data in a part of the world in which men’s status as workers shifts drastically depending on whether they are seeking a job with a “local” or “global” employer: the Arab Gulf. A “local” employer might be a national company in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates and a “global” employer would be one of the multinational corporations invested in the region. With local employers, local men (for example, Saudi and Emirati male nationals) tend to hold the highest status positions in terms of pay, authority, and social esteem. However, with global employers, local men are negatively stereotyped as workers.

新兴市场的全球化雇主对聘用受过西方教育和有工作经验的当地雇员表现出明确偏好。在对海湾阿拉伯国家和撒哈拉以南非洲地区的招聘经理进行采访过程中，我们听到他们反复陈述“全球视野非常重要”，或暗示说外籍人士“比当地人工作更努力”。反过来，即使是来自所谓改制高校——以外语授课，有西方教师协助他们为进入全球商业世界做好准备——的当地大学毕业生，在择业中仍处于劣势。正如一个学生所解释的：“当我去面试的时候，他们对我的第一印象是我是当地人，我很懒……这种看法根深蒂固。”

Global employers in emerging markets express clear preferences for hiring employees with Western educations and work experience over local candidates. In interviews with hiring managers in the Arab Gulf and sub-Saharan Africa, we heard repeated statements like a “global perspective is very important” or suggestions that expatriates were “prepared to work much harder than your local guy.” In turn, local university graduates — even those who attended so-called reform universities with mandated English instruction and Western faculty to prepare them for the global business world — perceived themselves as negatively stereotyped. As one student explained, “When I go for an interview, the first impression they have is that I am a local. I am lazy… This is the stereotype.”

由于在全球化公司工作的当地人在地位上不及为当地雇主服务的当地人，当两者收到不同雇主的上岗通知时，是否会在薪资谈判中表现各异，我们对此感到好奇，于是在一所改制大学中我们询问男女学生，如果他们从一家声望很高的公司得到了一份薪水比较低的工作，他们将如何应对。我们自行决定这一就业通知是来自当地公司，还是全球化公司。

Because local men have lower status with global employers than they do with local employers, we were curious whether they would express more inhibition about negotiating for higher pay if they received an offer from a global as compared to a local employer. We asked students — both men and women — in a reform university to explain how they would respond to a scenario in which they had received a job offer they wanted from a prestigious company but at a salary lower than they had been offered by another employer. We manipulated whether the offer came from a local or global company.

正如在美国研究中所观察到的那样，当工作通知来自当地雇主时，男性比女性更倾向于进行加薪谈判。然而，当通知来自全球化雇主时，男女学生都愿意谈判薪酬。

As is typically observed in U.S. studies, when the offer came from a local employer, the men were significantly more inclined to negotiate than the women. However, there was no gender difference in the propensity to negotiate when the offer came from a global employer.

在第二项项究中，我们想看看这些改制大学的学生对加薪谈判的看法，参照对象是一位在当地公司或全球化环境中工作的刚毕业大学生。因此，我们变换了场景，让学生们了解一位大学毕业生的经历，后者正在做着一份理想的工作，同时，手上又拿到了第二份薪水更高的上岗通知。我们随机指定参与者阅读某位男性或女性当地大学毕业生的选择，后者也许会要求加薪，以便薪水与第二份工作持平，也许不会这样做。

In a second study, we wanted to see how these reform university students would perceive a recent university graduate who negotiated for higher pay in a local as opposed to a global employment context. So we flipped the scenario and the students read about a recent university graduate who was responding to a desired job offer with a second higher salary offer in hand. We randomly assigned the participants to read about a male or female local university graduate who either did or did not negotiate for a compensation match with the second offer.

当工作通知来自当地雇主时，调查结论再次与美国的研究相吻合：参与者不愿意与那些对工资斤斤计较的女性共事，而愿意与不谈论薪资的女性一起工作。与此形成对照的是，当男性与当地雇主谈判时，人们对他的看法不会发生变化。

Again, when the offer came from a local employer, the results mirrored those typically observed in U.S. studies: The participants reported being less willing to work with a woman who negotiated as compared to a woman who didn’t. In contrast, there was no effect for men negotiating with a local employer.

然而，当这份工作来自全球化雇主时，薪资谈判不存在性别差异：参与者报告说，他们不愿意与要求加薪的求职者一起工作，而愿意把就业机会留给放弃薪资谈判的求职者，不论后者是什么性别。不管在哪种公司，要求加薪的女性都备受责难，而只有在全球化就业环境中，当地男性才会有这种境遇，这表明参与者认为，当地人与当地雇主谈判提高工资是可行的，而与全球化雇主谈判是行不通的。

However, when the offer came from a global employer, there was no gender difference: Participants reported being less willing to work with the candidate who negotiated as compared to a candidate who let the opportunity to negotiate pass — regardless of gender. Women experienced backlash regardless of the context while local men only experienced it in the global employment context, suggesting the participants thought it was fine for a local man to negotiate for higher pay with a local employer, but not with a global employer.

对女性在当地和全球化就业环境中进行加薪谈判而受到非议、男性在全球化就业背景下进行高工资谈判而受到非议的原因加以审视时，我们发现了相似但不完全相同的结果。过往研究已经表明，一定程度的公共认知或对他人的关切（“优先考虑他人”）在其中发挥了作用。评估者不愿意与争取加薪的当地女性或与全球化公司谈判的当地男性共事，因为他们认为两者缺乏对他人的关心。

When we looked at what explained the backlash toward women negotiating for higher pay in the local- and global-employment contexts and toward men in the global-employment context, we found similar but not identical results. As previous studies had found, a scale of perceived communality or concern for other (“puts people first”) played a role. Evaluators were disinclined to work with a local woman who negotiated and a local man who negotiated with a global employer because they perceived them to be lacking in concern for others.

然而，我们观察到另外两种观点，可以为唯有女性受到冷遇做出解释。评估者不愿意与谈判加薪的当地女性共事，因为她显得更不谦卑，物欲更强。在海湾阿拉伯国家的文化中，相对男性而言，女性更要为人谦卑，男人则被公认为家庭经济支柱。女性的工资被认为是用于个人消费，不是为了对家庭收入有所贡献。

However, we observed two other perceptions that explained the backlash toward the women only. Evaluators were less inclined to work with a local woman who negotiated for higher pay because she appeared more immodest and materialistic. Modesty is a stronger cultural imperative for women than men in the Arab Gulf, and men are expected to be the household breadwinners. Women’s pay is assumed to be for their personal consumption rather than a meaningful contribution to household income.

这些发现之所以重要性，是基于两个原因。首先它强化了一种观点，即对加薪谈判犹豫不决并非只是女性需要解决的问题。无论男女，如果预料加薪会导致消极的社会后果，他们都会畏缩不前。其次，这些研究强调指出，加薪谈判是一种特权。更高地位的人享有更多社会许可，可通过谈判来提高他们的报酬，这只会导致不平等。

These findings are important for two reasons. First, they reinforce the notion that hesitation to negotiate for higher pay isn’t just something about women that needs to be fixed. Women and men sometimes hesitate to negotiate when they anticipate that their claim to higher pay could result in negative social consequences. Second, these studies emphasize that negotiating for higher pay is a privilege. Granting more social permission to higher status people to raise their compensation through negotiation only contributes to inequality.

对于那些害怕因谈判而遭受冷遇的员工来说，有什么建议吗？我们还没有为消极呆板的男性员工研究出有效的谈判策略，但好消息是谈判专家可提供实用的谈判建议，助女性一臂之力。

What advice is there for workers who fear backlash if they negotiate? We have not yet studied effective negotiating strategies for negatively stereotyped male workers but the good news is that the strategies that work for women are similar to what negotiation experts in general would advise as good negotiating advice.

“我-我们”策略

我们建议她们使用我们所说的“我-我们”策略。“我”的部分是指对你来说什么是最重要的，在思考任何工作谈判时，应在讨论薪酬之前优先考虑这一点。例如，对你来说，长期盈利潜力可能更为重要，因为与略高一点的薪酬相比，它将确保你在工作经验、实习或你所渴望的专业发展机会方面做出正确抉择。

We suggest an approach we call the “I-We” strategy. The “I” part is figuring out what is most important to you, considering more than pay as you contemplate any job negotiation. For instance, it may be more important to your long-term earning potential to ensure that you gain the right kinds of work experience or mentorship or that you have access to opportunities for professional development than that you secure a slightly higher salary.

“我们”的部分是找到一种方法来解释你想要的东西，同时让你的雇主认为这样做是正当的、互利的。当你为加薪谈判做准备时，不妨问问自己：什么信息或论据能够帮助他们理解你的谈判筹码是否合适？如何让他们认为你的加薪要求符合他们自己或公司的利益，或者与公司的价值保持一致？

The “We” part is about finding a way of explaining what you want in terms that your employer will perceive as legitimate and mutually beneficial. As you prepare, ask yourself: What information or arguments would help them understand that it’s appropriate for you to negotiate? How could they see that it’s in their own or the organization’s interests or consistent with company values to grant your request?

尽力理解谈判对手的动机和制约因素。这并不总是容易做到的，因此，找个人做点谈判练习，获得诚实而明智的反馈，使自己的谈判技术更具有说服力，应该对争取加薪有所帮助。

Do your best to understand your negotiating counterpart’s motivations and constraints. This isn’t always easy to do, so it’s helpful to talk through your negotiating arguments with someone who can give you honest and informed feedback on what is likely to be persuasive.

当你开口时，要明确表示你一直在考虑和关心他们的看法。如果他们认为你所要求的是正当的，相信你真正关心他们的观点，那么，你就更有可能达成良好交易，在融洽的关系中完成谈判。

When you make your pitch, make it clear that you have been considering and care about their perspective. If they believe that what you are asking for is legitimate and that you genuinely care about their perspective, you are more likely to leave the negotiation with a good deal and a good relationship.

为加薪谈判而犹豫不决，并非总是由于缺乏技巧或信心。有时员工不敢谈判，是因为他们正在评估过于以自我为中心或过分要求所带来的社会风险。准备好“我-我们”策略有助于谈判双方推动职业发展，促进组织关系。如果你能做到这两点，就应该毫不犹豫地进行谈判。

Feeling hesitant to negotiate for higher pay isn’t always about lack of skill or confidence. Sometimes employees are hesitant to negotiate because they are assessing the social risks of appearing too self-centered or overly demanding. Preparing an I-We strategy helps negotiators both advocate for their career advancement and cultivate organizational relationships. If you can do both, you shouldn’t hesitate to negotiate.

汉娜·鲍里斯（Hannah Riley Bowles）是哈佛大学肯尼迪学院的高级讲师。她在哈佛法学院和哈佛大学肯尼迪学院的谈判项目中讲授女性执行课程。

波比·托马森（Bobbi Thomason）是宾夕法尼亚大学沃顿商学院的高级研究员和讲师。她在斯坦福大学获得了管理科学与工程学博士学位。

梅·达巴格（May Al Dabbagh）是纽约大学阿布扎比分校的社会研究和公共政策系的助理教授。她是中东性别和全球化方面的专家，并结合社会心理学、公共政策和女权主义视角对这一主题进行研究。