Kissing That Bigger Paycheck Goodbye

Love hurts, or at least flirting does.

According to research by Haas School of Business Associate professor Laura Kray and former doctoral student Connson Locke, flirting during business negotiations does not lead to better deals.

In their study, "Negotiating Flirts: Likable Losers," which has not yet been published, Kray and Locke had UC Berkeley undergraduate students role-play business negotiation scenarios in which some subjects flirted with their buyers and some did not.

"Overall, what we found is that flirting in negotiations leads to worse economic outcomes. But, it leads people to be well-liked, especially women," Kray said.

The study found that flirting during negotiations stresses the flirter and adversely affects their bargaining skills.

To find the correlation between flirtatious behavior and economic outcomes, Kray and Locke ran a series of three experiments addressing aspects of the influence gender roles have in the workplace.

One test analyzed different scenarios to gauge the judgements buyers made about the flirter. Student subjects were told to flirt with the buyers, who were then asked to rate the flirter on a scale of one to seven based on likability, effectiveness and appropriateness.

Another study tested the effects gender and flirting style had on the negotiators' performances and their buyers' reactions. Both male and female participants created videotapes of themselves flirting and remaining neutral during negotiations. Buyers were then told to make offers based on the videotapes.

The final experiment involved the subjects playing out various negotiations to find the differences between the deals offered to flirters and non-flirters. The buyers evaluated the negotiators on attractiveness, authenticity and coldness.

Kray, who said she has an extensive history of conducting research on gender and negotiations, began the study in 2005 and will present it at the Academy of Management meeting this month.

Kray first conceived of the idea for the study when a male colleague said he finds it hard to say no to an attractive female negotiator during business dealings.

"If you are kind of flirtatious and bat your eyes at a man, does that mean you get your way?" Kray said. "That's an age-old question and one worth studying."

Although there have been past studies regarding the effects of gender on business negotiations, Kray said she has yet to come across one that sought to explore sexuality in the workplace.

"Theories about negotiation have for too long focused only on the impersonal rational dynamics involved," said Hillary Elfenbein, a former assistant professor at the business school. "However, newer work such as Kray and Locke's study realizes that negotiators are, above all else, still people."

The study contradicts the stereotype that women can get ahead in business by using their sexuality.

"Flirting doesn't benefit women beyond making themselves likable, which is not usually the primary goal of a negotiation," said Elfenbein.

Tags: LAURA KRAY, CONNSON LOCKE