gender emergence in negotiation presentation ganit poleg spark
TRANSCRIPT
Practical Applications for Mediators
“As we manage the interactions of the parties, we find
ourselves enmeshed in a breathtakingly intricate matrix of
psychological issues, negotiation dynamics, communication
problems, subtleties of inflection and body language;
barriers of gender, culture, race, and class; and
disagreements about legal issues and the facts that gave rise
to the dispute.”
(David A. Hoffman)
How does gender present itself in mediation?
What is gender?
The cultural and social interpretation of the
differences between men and women.
Gender Identity
Gender belief
System
Negotiation= Any attempt to influence another
The first reflection for us as mediators:
Awareness to language and context.
The term and the common attached image of negotiation process create an initial gender gap even before the negotiation started.
the different perceptions that men and women hold for the concept of negotiating affect their motivation to negotiate, their confidence, their choice of strategies and consequently their outcomes
Alternative terms to ‘negotiation’
might be more gender sensitive/inclusive
Sex differences
Gender differences –
Deficit and valuing models
Gender emergence in interaction
Gender relations
The gender emergence in interaction approach
focuses on:
The interaction between the parties- men and
women as “doing gender”
Within a situational context
When and under what conditions does gender shape
the course of interactions?
Gender emerge in two layers in the negotiation:
“On the table” = in the substantial negotiation
“Under the table” or
In the “Shadow Negotiation” =
the negotiation about how we will negotiate
what identities will be salient for us
what expectations we have for the other party
how will power be applied in the negotiation etc.
…
Gender emerges in the shadow negotiation on 3
levels:
At a personal level – our own voice in the
negotiation, what identities are we bringing with us
and how confident we feel
At an expectation level - the tension between met
and unmet expectations within the interaction
At a situational level – the reflection of the
power/gender relations outside the room on our
negotiation abilities and confidence
Take 2 minutes to think about one element of your
own gender belief system and how does it impact
you in negotiation and as a mediator
Share it with the person who is sitting next to you
The second reflection for us as mediators:
Identifying and analysing individual gender belief
systems and tacit assumptions that drive behaviour,
systems and processes, both at formal and informal
levels - the “shadow negotiation” are powerful ways
of addressing gender inequity
when and under what conditions does gender shape the course of interaction?
The negotiating domain - i.e., personal vs. work negotiations
Type of negotiation- integrative vs. distributive negotiations
Status and rank and other aspects of gender relations
Use of terminology – to negotiate vs. to ask for
Representation role i.e., negotiating for self vs. other
The presence of a third party or observer
and many more
Riley and McGinn suggested an overarching model:
situations of Structural ambiguity where there are no clear standards to apply on the negotiation or the decision making process – gender stereotypes will be more pronounced
Gender triggers: a variety of cues or activation of stereotypes that will enhance gender emergence in specific situations. Consciously or unconsciously but often strategically we use gender triggers as power moves to bring gender stereotypes
to the surface
The third reflection for us as mediators:
Gender sensitive mediation will identify the situational moderators of gender in negotiation.
Reducing ambiguity through transparency and
process management Minimising gender triggers effects by naming them
and diverting them will make gender less salient Highlighting mutual superordinate identity (irrelevant to gender) will increase joint gain
.
* Murdoch University, Mediation
tournament
http://www.law.murdoch.edu.au
General reflections:
• Awareness to terminology
and context
• Awareness to gender
identity and gender belief
system in the interaction
on the table and in the
shadow negotiation
• Awareness to situational
moderators and their
impact on negotiation
Self-awareness, reflection & management- reflexive and reflective practice, role model complex gender behaviour, language use
Learn through observation, reflection and questioning the gender dynamics or gender belief systems in interaction
Minimise structural ambiguity through process management
Be mindful of gender triggers and their impact
Power management tools: interrupt,
name the move, reframe it, correct it
and divert it to focus on the problem