It’s a concrete fact that women earn less than men do. The true gender pay-gap is not known with certainty, but, when comparing equally qualified people doing the same job, most estimates by labor economists put it at 10% – 20%. The crucial question remains its cause. One common explanation is that women are less likely to negotiate their salaries. We’ve seen this in both bestselling business memoirs like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In and in previous studies like the research-based Women Don’t Ask.
Research: Women Ask for Raises as Often as Men, but Are Less Likely to Get Them
A new study contradicts a common theory about the gender pay-gap.
June 25, 2018
Summary.
Previous research has found that women are less likely to initiate salary negotiations than men are. But a new study of Australian women found no gender differences in negotiation behavior. Women were just as likely as men were to ask for higher salaries, and men and women were equally likely to report avoiding negotiations if they feared it would hurt their relationship with their boss. It’s possible that women’s behavior is changing; it’s also possible that this study is more accurate, since the dataset is based on real-world behavior, not surveys or lab experiments. The bad news? While women ask just as often as men, women are less likely to get what they ask for.
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Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to build a better, more just workplace.