Scientists have challenged the stereotype about women in negotiations

In a series of five studies involving more than 2,000 observations and participants, the researchers found that, following negotiations with women, people were more likely to report feelings of trust, liking, a sense of fairness and a desire to negotiate with that person again.

The study has been published in the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*.

The main conclusion is not that ‘women are better than men’. The conclusion is more precise: in these studies, women did not fare worse than men in terms of the outcome of the deal, but were more likely to build better relationships after negotiations.

Details

The authors did not merely examine the money or points involved in the deal. They also looked at the so-called subjective value of the negotiations: the extent to which a partner felt trust, respect, satisfaction and a desire to do business with that person again.

This is important because negotiations are rarely a one-off event. At work, in business, within a team and even at home, people often negotiate time and again. If the relationship is damaged after a deal, a formal victory may not turn out to be such a good deal after all.

In the first study, the researchers used archived data from an MBA course on negotiation: students took part in face-to-face role-play negotiations and then assessed their partners. Women were more frequently rated higher on trustworthiness, fairness, listening skills, meeting the partner’s needs and the ability to create additional opportunities in the deal.

The authors then tested this effect in online negotiations. Even when participants did not know their partner’s gender, negotiations with women more often left a better impression. This is an important point: the result cannot be explained solely by the fact that people assumed in advance, ‘She’s a woman, so she must be more pleasant’.

What exactly has changed in the stereotype

Previous research and popular advice often centred on the idea that women need to ‘learn to negotiate like men’. This new study offers a different perspective: perhaps we have too narrow an understanding of success.

If we define success solely as the maximum possible financial gain, relationships take a back seat. But if we take into account trust, the desire to continue working together and reputation, the picture changes. In these studies, women achieved comparable economic outcomes whilst, at the same time, more often leaving their counterparts with a positive impression of the process.

The authors also note that the greater favour shown to female negotiators did not cost them the outcome. In other words, they did not ‘give in just to be liked’, but achieved comparable deal outcomes.

Why people were more likely to want to negotiate with women again

In the final study, the researchers used an AI model to analyse behaviour in negotiation transcripts. One of the signals identified was that women were more likely to accept proposals, and this elicited more positive feelings from their counterparts. At the same time, they did not agree any sooner nor did they conclude worse deals than men.

Put simply, participants more often perceived negotiations with women as more comfortable and constructive. This did not negate the outcome, but added ‘relational value’ to it.

Why this matters

In negotiations, people often focus solely on the figures: salary, price, budget, share, deadlines. But in real life, it is not just the final sum that matters. What matters is whether the other person will want to work with you again, trust you, invite you to join a new project, or sit down with you at the next negotiating table.

This is particularly important for your career. If someone is seen as a strong but destructive negotiator, they may be shunned. If, on the other hand, someone achieves results whilst maintaining relationships, this can provide a long-term advantage.

The research is also significant because it does not support the old notion that ‘women are poor negotiators’. The broader context of research on gender and negotiation also shows that many conventional assumptions are outdated, and that gender differences are often smaller and more complex than stereotypes suggest.

Background

Negotiations have long been described in terms of assertiveness, competition and toughness. As a result, success was often associated with stereotypically ‘masculine’ qualities. But modern negotiations are not just a one-off battle for the best deal. They also involve the ability to build trust, listen, maintain rapport and create the conditions for future agreements.

This is precisely what makes the new study noteworthy. It shows that a ‘good negotiator’ is not necessarily someone who leaves the other party feeling like a loser. Sometimes the best outcome is a deal that leaves people willing to sit down at the table again.

Source

Study: Charlotte H. Townsend, Laura J. Kray, Solène Delecourt — “People prefer to negotiate with women, even when outcomes are identical and gender is unknown”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026.