I recently participated in an online discuss on this question and found there wasn't an easy answer because so many variables play into the question. One woman said, "For a skilled negotiator, the least salient characteristic about them is their gender."

My response was this, "While I agree with you in theory, the reality is that women negotiate far less than men do. Further, the studies show that both men and women excpect that women won't negotiate. That's why gender plays into the conversation. The more women are comfortable with negotiating, the more they will do it, and the less that gender will play an issue. Until then, there's some work to be done and gender will remain relevant to this conversation."

Who do you think negotiates better and why? Share your comments here.