Mixed Signals: Gender Differences in Negotiation Feedback

Abstract: Research on gender and negotiation has concentrated on differences in behavior and outcomes, yet little is known about whether feedback, central to negotiation learning, is shaped by gender dynamics. Drawing on archival data from MBA negotiation courses (472 dyadic observations), we examine whether negotiation feedback varies by negotiator gender, partner gender, and gender homophily within negotiation dyads. Using Social Relations Modeling, we analyze quantitative feedback on subjective value and trust, alongside qualitative peer evaluations. Results reveal no main effects of negotiator or rater gender on feedback. Instead, dyadic factors play a central role: negotiators receive significantly more favorable evaluations of subjective value and trust when paired with same-gender partners than with different-gender partners. Variance decomposition further shows that dyad-level effects explain substantial proportions of feedback variance, particularly for outcome and process evaluations. These findings suggest that negotiators, regardless of gender, may receive mixed developmental signals depending on their partner’s gender.

Keywords: Negotiation Feedback, Gender Homophily, Relational Dynamics, Social Relations Modeling (SRM)