Breaking the Gender Script: How Negotiating in a Foreign Language Reduces Stereotype Activation

Abstract: Gender stereotypes continue to shape negotiation behavior and outcomes, often constraining women’s performance. Building on research on the foreign language effect (FLE) in decision-making and the dual-process theory, we examine whether negotiating in a foreign language attenuates gender stereotypes and alters negotiation processes and outcomes. Across two studies (N = 382), we find that foreign language use reduces the activation of gender stereotypes for both men and women. Importantly, negotiating in a foreign language increases women’s negotiation ambition, reflected in higher target points or more assertive first offers depending on contextual constraints. In face-to-face negotiations, foreign language use is also associated with greater use of integrative conflict management strategies and higher joint outcomes. Together, these findings suggest that foreign language use weakens stereotype-based constraints and promotes more adaptive negotiation preparation and behavior, highlighting language as a situational factor that can reshape gender dynamics in negotiation.

Keywords: Gender stereotypes; Language; Negotiation Outcomes