When being "nice" works to your detriment

Imagine celebrating Hanukkah with your extended family, when an older relative offers to hand out gelt to the children. Little girls and boys gather around to receive their presents, except every boy gets $10, while every girl only gets $7. Some of the girls kick up a fuss and complain about the injustice, which leads to them receiving more money. But some of the girls smile politely, thank the relative for the gift, and continue playing. How would you react in that situation? And how would you encourage your daughter to react?

Now imagine this imaginary scenario at your workplace, instead of your family Hanukkah celebration, and imagine that instead of gelt, the girls are employees getting a salary for their work. A recent Tel Aviv University study has found that "nice" women make less than their male colleagues, but also less than their more "assertive" female colleagues.

The study, conducted by Prof. Sharon Toker of the Coller School of Management and her collaborators, examined 358 employees at a large Dutch firm. They found that while more agreeable women made less money than their male and female coworkers, even the less agreeable women, who were more likely to negotiate their salary, still made less than their male colleagues.

Read more about the study >>