Yes, people lie. And according to a new study, they especially lie to women because they perceive that women are easily deceived in negotiations. According to Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, women are more likely to be lied to than men, and negotiators opportunistically deceive them to get ahead.
Lies told to women
Laura Kray, a Warren & Carol Spieker Professor of Leadership at Berkeley-Haas and one of the researchers on the project noted that many of the lies that are told to women aren’t just lies of omission or even attempts at misleading, but are in fact blatant lies. The worst part? In the course of the study she found that men in the same situation are often told the truth.
Knowledge truly is power
Knowledge of such behavior can really make negotiations uncomfortable to even think about. While the traditional approach might be to “do unto others” and model ethical behavior, Kray notes that in her experience, the most important step you can take is to simply prepare before entering into any negotiation.
Doing your homework will build your self-confidence and self esteem, and don’t be afraid to politely question what you are told.
Read more about this fascinating study at Huffington Post.
