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The Telegraph recently posted an article about how if women use flirtatious behavior while doing business, they will have positive results. Researchers from UC Berkeley and University College London conducted a test in which 100 participants were polled on their reliance on charm while doing business negotiations. The results found that women who flirted during these negotiations achieved more favorable results than those who try to appear tough. In a second experiment, the volunteers were asked to imagine a scenario in which they are selling a car, and how much they would ask for it. They were asked to imagine two situations, one in which the woman selling the car is warm and flirtatious, and another where they are colder and more stern. The study found that more affectionate women could sell the car for less. In contrast, a study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that men who utilize their charm in business situations with the opposite sex perform no better than women who use the same technique.
The results of this test makes sense, although their would be more effective ways to carry out the experiment. It appears to have been a descriptive study, in which people were simply asked to imagine certain scenarios or report how they acted in certain situations of their past. These tests are tricky because people cannot be trusted to tell the truth, and will usually modify their response if they know they are part of an experiment. A correlational or even an experimental study of some sort would have gained more reliable information on the topic. If successful women were studied concerning how they got to their positions of power, this could be an effective correlational study. An experimental study in which men were tricked into thinking they were interviewing two different woman, one flirtatious and one with a more cold demeanor, this could have had interesting and telling results.
Nevertheless, this topic of this study is fairly important. Gender equality in high-paid jobs seems to be on the rise, but how the women get these jobs seems to be overlooked. It does not surprise me that women who are more flirtatious achieve better results, this seems to be a real world truth that many people have accepted. Men react well to women who they think are interested in them. Men do the same thing to women, and it is how a lot networking goes down in the business world.
Personally, I am not sure how to react to these results. They seems pretty obvious, but I wonder if the results would anger anyone. I think it is hard to draw the line between confidence and the ability to talk comfortably and flirting. We live in a very shallow world, and what is perceived flirting can be many different scenarios between genders. What one person could consider flirting, another person may not. When does flirting in a business environment become unprofessional? There are so many variables, but it seems apparent that when business takes place between genders, men will react more favorably to women who seem interested in them.
I think it's funny how in this article the researchers actually give women advise on how to use flirting to the best of their advantage. They mention that "women should avoid making overt sexual advances," but should still "appear friendly, authentic and interested in the man they are dealing with." As Russell mentioned, what one person may think of as being friendly, another person may see as "making a move." But according to these researchers, there is indeed a line between flirting and going too far. In a sales deal, I wonder how a man would deal with a woman who is being overtly sexual. I'm sure in many cases this type of behavior would be a deal breaker and would ruin the woman's chances at advancement or success. By acting in such a way, she's setting herself up to be viewed with a lack of professionalism and could possibly even come off as desperate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Russell in questioning the the methods in which this experiment was conducting, but nonetheless, the results seem almost obvious regardless of a possibly faulty social experiment. The effects of gender in the work place is an issue that is frequently discussed, and rightly so. The United States Census Bureau found that in 2010, the median income for full-time, year round male workers is $42,800, while for female workers it is about 20% fewer, at only $34,700. Apparently, The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee is responsible for many of the studies regarding this disparity and despite measuring multiple variables, they would consistently find that some portion of this gap would be unexplained, likely due to gender discrimination. One test that the Committee administered to measure discrimination was to deliver a number of identical resumes to employers. Employers would much more frequently respond to the resumes that had a male name appended to it than a female name.
ReplyDeleteIt's odd that the researchers present flirting and coldness as more or less the only options here. There are certainly ways to appear warm in a gender-neutral way. Even just a couple jokes thrown in during a meeting would lead to the client or associate coming away with a feeling of warmth, without the woman in question having to show cleavage or anything. The problem here, as David says, is the discrepancy of standards between men and women in the workplace. Women are told that they need to overcompensate to be taken seriously, or to be successful. The article says: "The key is to flirt with your own natural personality in mind. Be authentic. Have fun. That will translate into confidence, which is a strong predictor of negotiation performance." This suggests that one's work persona is strikingly different from one's natural persona (if one has to remind oneself to be natural while flirting). If the men are reaction to flirtation, then it seems that their natural persona is intact in the workplace.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Russel in saying that study is questionable. It seems very odd that they could not hold a better experimental study. I do not think that anyone would have been harmed or morally offended by doing so. But I have so disagreement with saying that this is obvious. I think that flirting is objective and by saying that someone can get ahead by flirting is also objective. There are many instances in which people perceive friendliness to be flirtation. To me the real factor here is the relationship. If people feel more attached to or liked by a coworker there is a greater chance that they would have an emotional bound in which creates a desire for them to succeed. The fact that women and men both benefit from "flirting" in the work place in an indication of this. Friendship between co-workers is one of the most beneficial ways to farther your career, it creates emotional ties, which makes firing more difficult and promoting more rewarding. But there is a line that can be crossed into be overly friendly which I would consider flirtatious. This is where it becomes inappropriate. So to say that it is flirtatious to be friendly towards co-workers is wrong, being friends with a co-worker is both beneficial for your career and social life.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't see why this study was necessary, I can definitely agree with it's results. People like to feel good, which is of course obvious, but having someone of the opposite sex being flirtatious with you will definitely help the other person out. I feel like this is more so common sense. I mean, yeah, while it's definitely not fair, we can all generally agree men are definitely into perusing women, and having one flirt with you at the work place? Definite self confidence booster right there. While this may totally not be completely fair, it definitely happens a lot, even if we don't notice it. Giving a promotion to a beautiful woman as opposed to an average looking, but hard working woman is something that's always portrayed in media, and I'm sure it happens all the time.
ReplyDeleteGender equality in the workplace is a very important thing to be looking at. I am also interested as to why flirting is seen as two extremes. Either you flirt and give the client/coworker the "warm feeling" or don' flirt and be considered cold. When a woman moves up in the workplace how they got there is always in question. Whether she used flirtatious and inappropriate ways to get there or did nothing but her work, someone will always wonder because she is a woman. The article shows how the public thinks and what they are thinking when they see a woman in power. The results in the article suggest that if a woman is more flirtatious either in a position of authority or if they are trying to obtain something, flirting will always work in their favor if there are men involved. This article was interesting and brings up the issue of how woman are seen in the workplace.
ReplyDeleteI think people aren't as accepting to various images women can have just because the idea of a woman needing to be motherly and warm has been ingrained in us for the longest time. The idea of seeing a tough woman as also warm and professional at the same time if definitely hard to imagine. Not only because of media bias but that is just what's expected. And I think that because we are shallow we are willing to hit where it hurts and bring back like stereotypes how women achieve high positions in order to make ourselves look better and just make the idea of flirtation more associated with women as something sneaky. It’s probably not just from a political point of view but also in shows where drama is created between some girl stealing some other girl’s boyfriend. It probably only just associates it more between females.
ReplyDeleteThis is study is definitively very questionable but it is an interesting study, how do you observe and categorize "flirting" and being "cold"? Everyone interprets gestures, tone, body language differently. But I agree with Clarissa's response with the fact that the relationship between the two people play a big factor. For example, my brother was hired to be a teller at a bank for a full time position at 19 years old. He had no previous experience with banks or a higher education beyond high school and he got the position over other candidates because of his ability to relate to his boss. In his interview, they both had very similar interests and he related a lot to my brother and so he was given the job over other people. I don't know if there was any flirting going on but it certainly helped to have big similarities and a bond but a professional relationship.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Russell about this experiment. I believe it is questionable because the topic of flirtation versus confidence is usually, if not always, open to interpretation in that not only do men and women see it differently; I think even people of the same gender don’t always see things the same way. It seems funny to me that when a woman appears to be confident and friendly and gives off a warm vibe, as well as a good sense of humor it is, for the most part, automatically perceived as flirting and not simply as a women being herself. The point is that confidence will get you further in almost any situation by the way you present yourself, as long as you are not rude or cold. I don’t think it is necessarily flirtation that takes a woman that extra mile, it’s the way they are seen: in a positive, comfortable, and believable way.
ReplyDeleteThis study is questionable and interesting because it remind me of the stereotype theory and intergroup contact theory that we are studying. We know that woman have been expected to be mother-like by looking at the Virgin and Saint paintings. For a long period of time they just stayed at home doing housework, and our society is really a patriarchal society. After women leave their home and come to the workplace, isn't it suppose to reduce those stereotypes of woman base on the intergroup contact theory? I don't think this article make its argument convincing, and the way it studied is questionable. The topic...somehow really interesting. It leads to further questions. Why are woman being questioned about their power? What is the clear difference of "flirting" and being "cold", or being polite? What behavior make people feel comfortable during interaction with different gender? What behaviors helps build a good relationship?
ReplyDeleteWhile the methods of this experiment can be questionable I do to some extent agree with the finding, and for the most part find them accurate. However, I feel that this experiment is a confirmation of our primitive nature when certain parameters are concerned. In my point of view the experiment is a perfect confirmation of the libidinal drives which dictate our lives and our failures or ignorance to realize these strong ruling powers.
ReplyDeleteThe male and female drive for constant reproduction is a primitive human drive, designed for the survival of our species, it is one of the reasons why our species have survived why many others like us have perished. Never the less, we have continued to evolved and no longer need such reflexes to help us survive, or dominate our lives, therefore as stated above by many, failing to adequately respond to such urges show our failure as species to adapt to our own parameters ,ie Professionalism in the work environment.