Laura Kray
Professor | The Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership | Chair, Management of Organizations Group | Faculty Director, Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership | Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA, UNITED STATES
Leading expert on gender in the workplace
Areas of Expertise (6)
Gender Bias
Motivated Cognition
Mindsets
Groups and Teams
Ethics and Morality
Negotiations and Conflict Resolution
About
Laura Kray is a leading expert on the social psychological barriers influencing women’s career attainment. Kray is the recipient of multiple research awards from the Academy of Management, the International Association of Conflict Management, and the California Management Review. Kray is a fellow to both the Association for Psychological Science and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. From 2017 to 2018, she was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Some of her current research seeks to debunk popular myths about the gender pay gap and to identify solutions to gender inequality in the workplace.
Kray’s research has been supported multiple times by the National Science Foundation and has been featured in a wide range of media outlets, including the Washington Post, New Yorker, National Public Radio, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Financial Times, Slate, Forbes, Huffington Post, Daily Beast, Scientific American, Businessweek, and Time.
In addition to research and teaching, Kray consults frequently with global organizations seeking to develop the next generation of leaders who are committed to addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. Kray founded the Women’s Executive Leadership Program of Berkeley Executive Education in 2008 and she remains the faculty director today. She is also the faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership.
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Education (2)
University of Washington: PhD, Psychology
University of Michigan Ann Arbor: BA, Organization Studies
Links (5)
Honors & Awards (9)
Best Practitioner-Oriented Paper Award, Academy of Management Organizational Behavior Division
August, 2018
Best Empirical Paper Award, International Association of Conflict Management Meeting, New York, NY
June, 2016
Most Influential Paper Award: 2000-2003; Conflict Management Division, Academy of Management Meeting, Anaheim, CA
2008
Faculty research grants, University of California
2005, 2006
Junior Faculty Research Grant, University of California
2004
Schwabacher Fellow, Highest honor for Assistant Professors, Haas School of Business,
2004-2005
“Club 6,” Recognition for Excellence in Teaching, Haas School of Business
2003-present
Office of the President’s Academic Enrichment Grant, University of California
2002
Best Empirical Paper Award, International Association of Conflict Management Meetings, Cergy, France
June 2001
Selected External Service & Affiliations (5)
- Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 2017-18
- Member: Society of Experimental Social Psychology, Academy of Management, Association for Psychological Science, International Association of Conflict Management, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Society of Experimental Social Psychology
- Editorial Board: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, California Management Review
- Ad-hoc reviewer: Science, Psychological Review, Psychological Bulletin, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Management Science, National Science Foundation, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
- Fellow, Women and Public Policy Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Fall 2012
Positions Held (1)
At Haas since 2002
2010 – present, Warren E. & Carol Spieker Professor of Leadership, Haas School of Business 2007 – 2010, Associate Professor & Harold Furst Chair of Management Philosophy and Values, Haas School of Business 2005 – 2007, Associate Professor, Haas School of Business 2002 – 2005, Assistant Professor, Haas School of Business 1999 – 2002, Assistant Professor, Eller College of Business and Public Administration, University of Arizona 1997 – 1999, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dispute Resolution Research Center, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
Media Appearances (20)
In Greater Boston, women earn 70 cents for every dollar men earn
WBUR online
2021-12-09
Research co-authored by Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, found that male managers more often lead larger teams and female managers lead smaller teams. Over time, that "responsibility gap" impacts the compensation gap between men and women.
MBA graduates hit with shocking gender pay gap
Financy online
2021-10-26
Research co-authored by Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, found an overlooked contributor to the gender pay gap. In research on MBA graduates, she found that men are almost immediately given larger teams to supervise and higher salaries than women of the same qualifications. Her analysis of a survey of nearly 2,000 graduates found that the gender pay gap widens as MBA graduates progress in their careers.
Upending assumptions about women in the workplace
Cape Cod Times
2021-10-23
A study co-authored by Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, upends the “common knowledge” that women have lower salaries because they don’t negotiate well. Instead, Kray’s study found that women with the same education and experience as male counterparts were given less responsibility and smaller teams, leading to pay inequity over the course of their career.
The Pay Gap for Women Starts With a Responsibility Gap
The Wall Street Journal online
2021-10-14
It's not poor salary negotiation skills that exacerbate the gender pay gap, write Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and researcher Margaret Lee of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, in this op-ed. Their research found that early in their careers men, are given more managing responsibility than women, and this snowballs over time. "Several years into a career, it’s not so easy for a manager to just ask for a huge jump in the number of people she supervises to increase her pay. The damage has already been done silently and early, and it didn’t even look like discrimination: Perhaps she had the same title, and in the beginning, maybe even the same salary. But after she started out with a smaller team, the salary gap began and grew."
California treasurer sued for harassment often shared overnight lodging with staffers
The Sacramento Bee online
2021-09-28
It’s a questionable practice for managers to share hotel rooms with subordinates, who may feel pressured to say "yes" to the situation even if they are uncomfortable. “It crosses boundaries and puts subordinates in a very difficult position to say ‘no,’ even in the most innocent of cases where we’re just trying to save money,” said Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership. “Because of the power dynamic, I don’t think people would feel free to say ‘no,’ and would worry about retaliation.”
Exclusive: Recall candidate Larry Elder once said it’s ‘smart’ for women to tolerate crude workplace behavior by men
San Francisco Chronicle online
2021-08-19
Larry Elder, the conservative running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, said women shouldn’t report inappropriate behavior at work because it can “create an atmosphere where everybody walks on eggshells, no one knows what to say to each other, and camaraderie and productivity suffer.” Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, called Elder’s views “incredibly outdated.” “It almost seems like it has to be a joke,” she added. “Although, sadly, I know it’s not.”
Very big changes are coming very fast to the American workplace
Berkeley News online
2021-07-01
As the Covid pandemic eases, American executives and office workers are facing a new and unfamiliar world at work. Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership; Prof. Cameron Anderson, the Lorraine Tyson Mitchell Chair in Leadership & Communication II and chair of the Management of Organizations Group; Senior Lecturer Homa Bahrami; and Senior Lecturer Cristina Banks weigh in on the subject of the future workplace, where issues of communication, workflow, training and management are all being figured out as leaders and staff members work to harmonize and fine-tune the new workplace.
Women Have Unique Advantages As Negotiators: How Can They Best Leverage Them?
Forbes online
2021-03-26
For women in the corporate world, gender bias can make negotiating tricky, but research shows that women have unique strengths they bring to the table. Women excel at generating goodwill through problem solving. Research co-authored by Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and faculty director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, has found that “women possess unique advantages as negotiators, including greater cooperativeness and stronger ethics. But often those strengths are overlooked or severely undervalued.”
Podcast: Grit In The Oyster – Conversation with Professor Laura Kray
Penny de Valk radio
2021-01-28
Prof. Laura Kray, the Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and the faculty director for the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, described the "a-ha" moment that led her to her area of research expertise. She was teaching negotiation strategies when a student raised her hand and asked what role gender played during negotiations.
When it pays to smoke with the boss
Marketplace online
2019-12-09
Men who schmooze with their bosses—whether over smokes or surfing—are more likely to be promoted, new research has found. Prof. Laura Kray, The Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership, said that's not so for women, who in general have less free time to schmooze due to higher domestic demands.
Flirting is an effective negotiation strategy, according to a Berkeley professor. Really?
Inc. online
2019-11-14
I ran recently across a study claiming that flirting can pay off for women in the workplace. It was published a few years ago but the author, Professor Laura Kray (who holds the Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership at the Haas School of Business at the University of California) is a top academic in the field of gender studies and still has the peer-reviewed paper listed on her Berkeley bio page.
Men and women ask for pay raises at the same rate — but men get them more often
Marketplace online
2019-06-10
Researchers are continuing to make new insights about gender inequality in the workplace. Prof. Laura Kray, Ned and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership and Faculty Director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership, and Postdoctural Scholar Margaret Lee are studying cover letters written by MBA students in a classroom simulation. They found that people rate the cover letters written by the female MBA students as “more sensitive to the relationship” and more “carefully crafted.” “Based on all best practices in negotiations and what we’re able to discern in the cover letters, there is some indication that, if anything, women were doing a better job,” Kray said.
MBA students at Haas School of Business on mission to help women level financial playing field
ABC7 online
2019-05-24
"Where the biggest differences are coming out between men and women is in the stocks, stocks options, and stock grants that they are getting," said Prof. Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership.
Reducing the pay gap is not about negotiating
MT online
2019-05-08
A frequent explanation for the gender pay gap is that women earn less because they are not good at negotiating. But the explanation for the pay gap is more complicated than that, says Prof. Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership.
Berkeley Haas MBA Students Fight the Gender Pay Gap
Clear Admit online
2019-04-19
The gender pay gap is still alive and well in business, particularly in the tech industry. The article cites recent research by Prof. Laura Kray and Margaret Lee, a post-doctoral fellow with the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership (EGAL), which found that part of the pay gap may come from implicit biases that lead men to be put in charge of larger teams.
The Business Case for Positive Company Culture
Forbes online
2019-01-09
Inclusivity actually helps outcomes, and the makeup of the company is important. Panelists cited work by Prof. Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership, that has found that if people view images or videos of women as CEOs, or underrepresented minorities in senior positions, they are statistically more likely to view those people as being capable in those roles.
Gratitude has a dark side
Quartz online
2018-12-20
Work by Prof. Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership, has found that asking people to imagine how their lives would look if a critical turning point had never happened can lead to an increased sense of meaning and appreciation for what they have.
NC Election Fraud, Negotiation Deceit, Earthquakes, Pain, Bananas at Risk
Top of Mind radio
2018-12-10
Who lies more when selling a car with an oil leak? In this interview, Prof. Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership, said, "We find that men tend to have lower ethical standards in negotion."
7 creative flirting tips you’ve probably never tried
The Datemix online
2018-06-09
The article looks at a study by Prof. Laura Kray, Warren E. and Carol Spieker Chair in Leadership, on how flirting can pay off in negotiations. "The key is to flirt with your own natural personality in mind," she said.
Improving Workplace Culture, One Review at a Time
The New Yorker online
2018-01-22
Some of the site’s biggest enthusiasts are those advocating for social change. Laura Kray, a social psychologist studying gender in the workplace, told me, “In terms of academic research, if your goal is to increase gender equality, it’s hard to come up with a downside of greater transparency.”
Selected Research Grants (2)
The Role of Counterfactual Mind-sets in Debiasing Group Decisions
Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences program. National Science Foundation
June, 2002
Gender Stereotypes and the Gender Gap: A New Look at Female-Male Negotiations
Co-funded by the POWRE and Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences programs. National Science Foundation
July, 2000
Selected Papers & Publications (19)
Stepping up to the Mic: Gender gaps in participation in live question-and-answer sessions at academic conferences.
Psychological Science
Jarvis, S. N., Ebersole, C. R., Nguyen, C. Q., Zhu, M., & Kray, L. J.
(in press)
The mitigating effect of desiring status on backlash against ambitious women.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Mishra, S., & Kray, L. J.
(in press)
Gender bias in academia: A lifetime problem that needs solutions
Neuron
Anais Lorens & Laura J. Kray et al.
2021
A Brief Social-Belonging Intervention in the Workplace: Evidence from a Field Experiment
Academy of Management Discoveries
Sanaz Mobasseri, Sameer B. Srivastava, and Laura J. Kray
2021
A gender gap in managerial span of control: Implications for the gender pay gap
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Margaret Lee and Laura J. Kray
2021
"I won’t let you down:” Personal ethical lapses arising from women’s advocating for others
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Maryam Kouchaki and Laura J.Kray
2018
Multifaceted Masculinity: Implications for Men’s Lives
PsycCRITIQUES
Laura J. Kray, Michael P. Haselhuhn
2017
Changing the Narrative: Women as Negotiators – and Leaders
California Management Review
Laura J. Kray and Jessica A. Kennedy
Sept. 2017 2018 Winner of Best Practitioner-Oriented Paper Award, Academy of Management OB Division
Perceptions of high integrity can persist after deception: How implicit beliefs moderate trust erosion
Journal of Business Ethics
Michael P. Haselhuhn, Maurice E. Schweitzer, Laura J. Kray, Jessica A. Kennedy
Aug. 2017
Challenge your stigma: how to reframe and revalue negative stereotypes and slurs
Current Directions in Psychological Science
Cynthia S. Wang, Jennifer A. Whitson, Eric M. Anicich, Laura J. Kray, and Adam D. Galinsky
2017
The Effects of Implicit Gender Role Theories on Gender System Justification: Fixed Beliefs Strengthen Masculinity to Preserve the Status Quo
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Laura J. Kray, Laura Russell, Alexandra G. Howland, Lauren M. Jackman
2017
A Social-cognitive Approach to Understanding Gender Differences in Negotiator Ethics: The Role of Moral Identity
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Jessica A.Kennedy, Laura J. Kray and Gillian Ku
2017
Power Affects Performance When the Pressure Is On: Evidence for Low-Power Threat and High-Power Lift
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Sonia K. Kang, Adam D. Galinsky, Laura J. Kray, and Aiwa Shirako
2015
Who Is Willing to Sacrifice Ethical Values for Money and Social Status? Gender Differences in Reactions to Ethical Compromises
Social Psychological and Personality Science
Kray, L. J. & Kennedy, J.A.
2014
Gender differences in trust dynamics: Women trust more than men following a trust violation
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Haselhuhn, M.P., Kennedy, J.A., Kray, L.J., Van Zant, A.B., & Schweitzer, M.E
2014
“I Can’t Lie to Your Face”: Minimal Face-to-Face Interaction Promotes Honesty
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Van Zant, A.B., & Kray, L.J.
2014
Not competent enough to know the difference? Gender stereotypes about women’s ease of being misled predict negotiator deception
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Laura J. Kray, Jessica A. Kennedy, Alex B. Van Zant
2014
Feminine Charm: An Experimental Analysis of Its Costs and Benefits in Negotiations
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Kray, L. J., Locke, C., & Van Zant, A.
2012
Male Pragmatism in Negotiators’ Ethical Reasoning
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Laura J. Kray and Michael P. Haselhuhn
2012
Teaching (3)
Negotiations
MBA
Women’s Leadership
Founding Faculty Director of Women’s Executive Leadership Program, UC Berkeley Executive Education
Leading High Impact Teams
MBA
Social