An article by Prof. Laura Kray aimed at rewriting the narrative on woman as negotiators and leaders has received a 2018 “Outstanding Practitioner-Oriented Publication” award from the Academy of Management (AOM), a professional association that publishes several academic journals.
Kray’s article, “Changing the Narrative: Women as Negotiators – and Leaders” was published in the Fall 2017 issue of California Management Review, the Berkeley Haas journal that serves as a bridge between those who study management and those who practice it.
Practical strategies for managers
The article, co-written with Jessica Kennedy of Vanderbilt University, explores the challenges that women face in rising through the ranks and achieving equal pay. Kray and Kennedy contend that the stereotype of women as innately poor advocates for themselves distracts from the fact that women possess unique advantages as negotiators. In fact, Kray’s past research has shown that women tend to be both more cooperative and more ethical than men in negotiations. The article presents practical strategies for managers and negotiators of both genders to close existing performance gaps.
“Only when women are given the credit they deserve will we bridge the gender divide,” they write.
The article was selected by a committee from the Academy of Management’s Organizational Behavior (OB) Division. “[Kray’s research] shines a light on a very timely topic as the conversation around women is changing in many parts of the world. Moreover, it represents one of the few articles that attempt to arm organizations with solutions to the challenges around a perceived gender gap. Rather than focusing on how men and women are different (and how one should be more like the other to fit a situation), it focuses on how we may want to change how we look at certain practices or competencies. That is, it advocates to change the practice rather than change the person,” the judges wrote.
Kray and Kennedy will accept the award at the Academy of Management Conference in Chicago on August 11.
Kray is Warren E. and Carol Spieker Professor of Leadership at Berkeley Haas, and one of the founding researchers for the new Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership. She is also the founding director of the Women’s Executive Leadership Program for Berkeley Executive Education.
California Management Review special issue
As part of California Management Review’s 60th anniversary special issue, Kray’s research was featured alongside six other contributions from Berkeley Haas faculty authors. Other articles included research on personnel selection by Prof. Don Moore, language as a window into culture by Assoc. Prof. Sameer Srivastava, overclaiming by Asst. Prof. Juliana Schroeder, cross-sector careers by Adj. Prof. Nora Silver, and sustainability at Patagonia by Robert Strand, executive director of the Center for Responsible Business.