Having a wide face could help men get better bonuses when they negotiate for themselves; but the same is not true for negotiations that require compromise.
The findings, published in a recent edition of the journal The Leadership Quarterly, suggest men with wider faces negotiated signing bonuses of about $2,200 more than men with a more narrow face, the University of California - Riverside reported.
In another scenario the team found wide-faced men negotiated higher prices when selling a chemical plant and a lower price when in a buyer role.
In a situation where participants had to "bridge a gap" on a real-estate transaction the men with wider faces proved to do worse than narrower-faced individuals. Men who were perceived as more attractive were found to be the most successful in this scenario.
"These studies show that being a man with a wider face can be both a blessing and a curse and awareness of this may be important for future business success," co-author Michael P. Haselhuhn said.
Skillful negotiation is an important part of leadership. In the past many behavioral factors have been looked at in order to determine what makes for successful negotiations, but very few physical studies have looked at how differences in psychological and physical traits affect the situation. The researchers believe these recent findings could be helpful to people of all genders and ages.
"We negotiate everyday whether we think about it or not. It's not just the big things, like a car or a home. It's what time your kid is going to go to bed or what you or your spouse are going to have for dinner," Haselhuhn said.
The findings were based off of several previous studies, some of which suggest: "Individuals behave more selfishly when interacting with men with wider faces and this selfish behavior elicits selfish behavior in others; Men with wider faces are more likely to lie and cheat; and Men with wider faces tend to lead more financially successful firms," the university reported.
