The Mechanisms Of Gender Differences And Representation-role In Negotiation

This paper examined the effect of gender differences and representation role in Face-to-Face(FTF) as well as Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) negotiations, and tried to explain it according to Chinese culture. A 2(gender of seller)×2(self- vs. other-representation for seller)×media(FTF vs. CMC) factorial design was conducted,and used real wage,expected wage,estimated wage and conceded wage.In our laboratory experiments, the payment was used for a mobile phone market investigator with neutro-gendered tendency as the experimental task; The number of participants as subjects was 160,with half fromstudents at campuses, and other half from a year of work experience were outside the campuses.The findings were as following:1. In the FTF condition, the expected wages of female sellers were significantly higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition ,and there was no significant effect of representation role on male sellers' expected wages ,and the expected wages of female sellers were significantly higher than that of male sellers ,and the expected wages of sellers were significantly higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition.2. In the CMC condition, the expected wages of female sellers were higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition; the expected wages of male sellers were also higher in the self-representationas compared to other-representation condition ,and there was no significant effect of sellers' gender on the expected wages.3. There was no significant effect of female sellers on the expected wages in two media conditions,while there was significant increase of male sellerson the expected wages in the CMC condition.4. In FTF condition, there was significant effect of the sellers' minimum wages which were estimated by buyers ; In CMC condition , the sellers' minimum wages which were estimated by buyers were significantly higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition. 5. In FTF condition ,the concessions of the buyers were significantly more when female sellers were in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition ;the concessions of the buyers were less when male sellers were in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition.6. In the FTF condition, the real wages of female sellers were higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition, the real wages of male sellers were lower in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition, the real wages of female sellers were lower than thatof male sellers.7. In the CMC condition, the real wages of female sellers were higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition,the realwages of male sellers were significantly higher in the self-representation as compared to other-representation condition,and there was significant impact of sellers' gender on the real wages.8. there was no significant effect of female sellers on the real wages in two media condition , while there was significant increase of male sellers on the real wages in the CMC condition.