Gender Differences in Pay Negotiations for College Professors

Gender differences in pay earned for the same work has been a highly publicized issue as of late. Females, on average, earn much less than males do even when they are working in the same industry and the same job. One possible explanation for the gender pay differences is that women often avoid salary negotiations. Much of the gender pay differences can be attributed to initial salary, which is often attained through various negotiation tactics. Previous research suggests that females are significantly less likely to engage in salary negotiations after they accept a job. Males also report higher expected initial salaries and higher likelihood to initiate negotiation when it is not explicitly mentioned. The current research aims to tease apart the reasoning for the gender differences. The current study used a survey to examine the pay negotiation habits of professors at the University of Northern Iowa. Data collection is ongoing, but we expect that males are more likely to negotiate, individuals who negotiated initial salaries will have higher current salaries, and both genders will report being more comfortable negotiating terms in same-gender dyads