Sydney: Here is a bit of shocking revelation for competent female workers. The next time you try negotiating your salary, just remember you may be inviting hostility at the workplace, possibly also a backlash.

"Best practice negotiation strategies which work for men frequently backfire for female employees and can damage their relationships with employers," said Carol Kulik, professor of human resource management at the University of South Australia (USA).

She said that a common recommendation to women is to get tough -- to ask more often and to ask more assertively but this recommendation backfires. Consequently, the woman who successfully negotiates favourable outcomes for herself may be perceived as competent, but she is also likely to encounter a backlash and be perceived as less likeable than a man.

"Competent women are often viewed as less friendly, helpful, sincere and trustworthy, but more hostile, selfish, devious and quarrelsome- not the perceptions you want your boss to have of you!" Kulik said.

According to the professor, a wide variety of research evidence indicates women begin their careers with a salary gap.

"One study of 500 MBA graduates showed that the median salary for female graduates was half the median salary for male graduates," she said, adding organisations also have a role in creating an environment that does not punish women who choose to negotiate. "Negotiation is a major factor in the salary gap between men and women," she said.

"The salary gap widens over the course of a career, leaving women less financially secure at retirement than men with comparable skills and experience," she said, according to a USA release.

She says women can avoid this situation by carefully framing their requests to avoid being perceived as "pushy" and by managing the negotiation process.