Gift-giving is a multimillion-dollar industry that affects almost everyone, and its economic importance is, "uncontested in terms of retail sales alone" (Sherry, 1983, p. 157). In romantic relationships, gift-giving plays an essential role in determining the overall satisfaction of the couple. With both positive and negative effects resulting from this exchange, it is curious why there is a desire to provide gifts in the first place. Are we lying when we say, "It1s the thought that counts," or has society really conditioned us to believe that gifts are a good proxy for feelings? This study investigates the reason behind gift-giving with regard to three distinct groups - intimate partners, family and friends - through the creation of a gift-giving scale. There is currently no validated measure for the effects of gift-giving. A factor analysis indicated a reliable 7-factor structure from the questionnaire: Gifts on Special Occasions, Jewelry, Use of 'Display of Gifts, Animals as Gifts, Gifts to/from a Significant Other, Money Earned, and Gifts for Pets. Each factor was tested using a 1-sample t-test to determine effects on gender in participant response. They were also analyzed with two one-way ANOVAs testing race and the participant's year-in-school for any effects. Six additional items of interest were analyzed and should be included in the scale. Gender differences were found for four of the seven factors, as well as effects for race and year-in-school. Six additional items from the Baruch Gift-Giving Scale were analyzed and shown to have significant gender differences in participant's beliefs on gift-giving. Through analysis of this research, we predict a better understanding of the importance that society and marketing place on gift-giving and the effect it has on relationships.

This study investigated the behaviour of re-gifting using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Re-gifting is the gift-giving behaviour of giving a gift that was previously given to you, to another with the pretence that you purchased the gift. The qualitative phase used semi-structured interviews to uncover an initial understanding of re-gifting behaviour from participants’ selected using purposive sampling. The main findings arising from this phase showed that re-gifters used three main factors to determine when it is appropriate to re-gift. These three factors, relationship, occasion and gift were used as the basis of the conceptual framework. This framework was then analysed using an online experiment with the use of vignette techniques which was the focus of the quantitative phase. The study focused on understanding what influences individuals decisions to re-gift. The main factors of interest were how the gift, occasion and relationships involved influenced re-gifting intentions. Re-gifting attitudes where analysed using the factors gift-giving attitudes, previous re-gifting experiences and frequency of re-gifting. A total of 211 responses were collected from Web users from around the world. The study suggests that re-gifters are influenced by the relationships involved and the type of gift, not the occasion. Re-gifting attitudes can be influenced by previous re-gifting experiences. This study has numerous practical implications, more specifically for retailers and charity organisations. This study adds major contributions to both gift-giving and disposition literature and introduces the area of re-gifting. Future research in cultural differences, gender differences and re-gifters versus non re-gifters suggested.

Many observers are concerned about the ramifications of the policy regulation in Nigeria that allows public servants to accept gifts without restriction on the basis of culture. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand this cultural practice and its implications for the integrity of public servants. Using Mettler and SoRelle's conceptualization of policy feedback theory, the research questions focused on the perceptions of leaders of civic organizations on this cultural practice in relation to the integrity of public servants in a particular region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 10 purposely selected leaders of civic organizations using open-ended, semi-structured interview protocols, and other publicly available documents. The data were subjected to an inductive coding procedure followed by thematic analysis. Findings suggested that the perceptions of the cultural practice of unrestricted giftgiving in the public service were negative and unethical. Consequently, the findings suggested an amendment to the relevant sections of Nigerian Constitution to provide for a restricted monetary value of gifts allowable in the public service. The implications for positive social change include discussing how policy makers and practitioners may be able to act on the study findings to bring about ethical, effective, and efficient public service in Nigeria.

隨著國際化的發展，現今社會可說是文化全球化的現象，人們的日常生活受到各式思想傳播的影響，讓「送禮」這件事成為了日常，也因此增加了多次送禮的機會，而這本該感到開心的事情卻讓不少台灣人感到困擾。根據統計31%的台灣人在選擇禮物時感到壓力，亦衍伸出為了送禮而送禮的行為。除了送禮方面的困擾外，有半數以上的台灣人表示並不喜歡收到的禮物，顯示台灣人不管對於送禮或收禮都備感壓力。此外，網路興盛的發展使台灣人對於網路的使用越來越依賴，許願池平台的發想主要為了解決關於送禮及收禮的問題，「提供一個省時、精準且方便的送禮模式」。為因應台灣人對於網路的依賴設立選購禮物平台，結合多品牌商家提供完善的購物及送禮流程。 商業模式部分，許願池為一平台提供使用者列出許願清單，藉由達到精準送禮吸引使用者在平台進行互相送禮的消費行為，進而讓品牌商家在平台上建立銷售通路，另外，許願池平台會向商家抽成，做為商家的行銷經費，並將部分回饋給使用者，藉此吸引更多的送禮行為。藉由提升整體送禮行為的金流量為平台創造出更多的獲利，故平台宗旨期望能建立平台、使用者與商家三者正向的回饋機制，使網路送禮更加健全。 許願池平台的獲利來源有二，主要來源為平台向商家收取每筆訂單金額8%，扣除回饋3％給消費者後的5%才是平台的營收；另外，許願池也提供廣告版位開放給經銷商於平台投放廣告，藉此可增加商家的曝光率，提高商品被列入許願清單的可能性，同時為許願池平台帶來額外的營收。 最後，透過市場規模評估、銷售預測、損益表與現金流量等進行財務規劃，並在一般預估與保守預估分析下預測損益平衡點分別為第一年與第五年，平台毛利均能穩定成長。 / Referring to the cultural globalization, “gift-giving” is now more and more common all over the world. People get very used to it, yet harassed by it. As we know that “gift-giving” is originally a happy circumstance, it is now becoming standardized though. According to statistics, there’s 31% Taiwanese bothered by gift preparing, and more than 50% people didn’t like the presents they received. It shows up that neither receiving nor preparing gifts caused huge pressure. Due to this situation, here creates a platform called “Gift You Wish” which offers a way to deal with every problem caused by gift-giving, and the main value of “Gift You Wish” would be “a new gift-giving model that offers a convenient and time-saving solution. And for all that matters is its precision.” Besides, people in these days are heavily addicted to internet. For it, “Gift You Wish” creates an online shopping site to combine consumers and stores in one place. It in favor of our members to complete a perfect gift-giving procedure. The business model of “Gift You Wish” is that it opens to every target audience to sign up for free, and make a wish list. All members can glance others wish lists when needed. With the information that collects from every member’s wish list, “Gift You Wish” cooperates with as many stores as it could and combines them to the online shopping site. In addition, all stores owners would have to pay 8% of the products price to “Gift You Wish” in every single order, which is for their marketing expenses. After that, “Gift You Wish” would take 3% out of the 8% as an extra dividend and give it to the members who have sent a gift by our platform. Because of the convenience of “gift-giving” and the extra reward from doing so, it would bring out more cash flow through “Gift You Wish” platform, and makes more profits for “Gift You Wish” as well. It is totally a win-win situation. Apart from the 8% of products price that pay by store owners for marketing expenses to “Gift You Wish”, there’s also another way for the platform to earn profits which would be the advertising banner fee. “Gift You Wish” offers the advertising banner on the platform for advertisers who want to promote their products and brand. And for “Gift You Wish” itself, it’s kind of an extra revenue. Last but not least, there’s some estimation about the market size of “Gift You Wish”, and market potential as well. According to the result from the estimation, the break-even point would be at the first year after the business started; and for the conservative estimation would be at the fifth year. However, the profit of “Gift You Wish” platform perform a steady increase in both estimations.

This dissertation addresses the intersection of rhetoric and material exchange in the construction of political alliance and conflict between the Waraos indigenous population and the non-indigenous institutions and political actors in the Orinoco Delta, Venezuela. It deals with the discursive and material strategies used to construct political reality at the moment of the emergence of one of the so-called new South American left wing populist governments (Hugo Chavez presidency since 1998). These historical circumstances present an opportunity to open a discussion bringing together the recent developments of discourse-centered approaches to culture, language ideologies, and the most classical theories on material exchange. This research's aim is to understand how multiple sign systems (in this case language and material gifts) interact, contradict, and support each other. In sum, this dissertation uses the advances of discourse-centered approaches to culture and the anthropological theories of exchange to understand how language and gift giving has shaped history and political imagination in the Orinoco Delta and Venezuela.

No description available.

For more than a decade tourists originating in developed nations have been giving various gifts to locals of tourism communities in developing nations. This occurrence is commonly associated with the Caribbean, and is particularly well known to occur in Cuba. Tourism has often been adopted as a part of economic development strategies of developing nations, however due to a lack of studies on tourists’ philanthropic gift-giving it is unclear how the occurrence affects both human and economic development, and likewise its impacts such as possibilities of population disparity. There are current restrictions in Cuba which forbid locals from accepting the gifts of international tourists (Taylor & McGlynn 2009; Mesa-Lago 2005), however the island’s unique need for material goods seems to over-rule this policy. The implication herein indicates benefits to accepting gifts from tourists. Tourism employees most frequently come in contact with tourists and the potential of gift receipts by tourism employees is heightened. This in turn carries implications of social disparities amongst the population resulting from unequal gift receipts by tourism employees. Furthermore, current research suggests that complex social relationships are created through gift-giving yet little is understood within the context of tourist-to-local community member. The goal of this thesis is to determine whether international tourist philanthropic gift-giving contributes to social disparity within a local community as well as its affects on human and economic development. This has been achieved through case study research from a mixed-methods approach in Trinidad, Sancti Spirtus, Cuba. The results of this research point to significant economic gains and improvement in access-to-material-goods through tourists’ gift-giving, which in turn have been found to contribute to economic development. However, the external nature of tourists’ gift-giving limits using the phenomenon as a reliable tool for economic development. Impacts on human development are not as clearly defined. Although tourists’ gift-giving contributes to some aspects of human development, the phenomenon cannot be considered to contribute to overall human development. Although population disparity was found to be an impact of tourists’ philanthropic gift-giving, community members viewed the occurrence as a positive benefit of tourism. The policy in Cuba restricting locals from accepting tourists’ gifts has been largely ineffective as this type of economic gain was found to be well integrated in the informal economy. The general public is largely unaware of the policy and it is likely Cubans will continue to accept tourists’ gifts. Although this research has revealed interesting insight regarding tourists’ philanthropic gift-giving much remains to be known of its impacts and several recommendations for future studies are suggested.

For more than a decade tourists originating in developed nations have been giving various gifts to locals of tourism communities in developing nations. This occurrence is commonly associated with the Caribbean, and is particularly well known to occur in Cuba. Tourism has often been adopted as a part of economic development strategies of developing nations, however due to a lack of studies on tourists’ philanthropic gift-giving it is unclear how the occurrence affects both human and economic development, and likewise its impacts such as possibilities of population disparity. There are current restrictions in Cuba which forbid locals from accepting the gifts of international tourists (Taylor & McGlynn 2009; Mesa-Lago 2005), however the island’s unique need for material goods seems to over-rule this policy. The implication herein indicates benefits to accepting gifts from tourists. Tourism employees most frequently come in contact with tourists and the potential of gift receipts by tourism employees is heightened. This in turn carries implications of social disparities amongst the population resulting from unequal gift receipts by tourism employees. Furthermore, current research suggests that complex social relationships are created through gift-giving yet little is understood within the context of tourist-to-local community member. The goal of this thesis is to determine whether international tourist philanthropic gift-giving contributes to social disparity within a local community as well as its affects on human and economic development. This has been achieved through case study research from a mixed-methods approach in Trinidad, Sancti Spirtus, Cuba. The results of this research point to significant economic gains and improvement in access-to-material-goods through tourists’ gift-giving, which in turn have been found to contribute to economic development. However, the external nature of tourists’ gift-giving limits using the phenomenon as a reliable tool for economic development. Impacts on human development are not as clearly defined. Although tourists’ gift-giving contributes to some aspects of human development, the phenomenon cannot be considered to contribute to overall human development. Although population disparity was found to be an impact of tourists’ philanthropic gift-giving, community members viewed the occurrence as a positive benefit of tourism. The policy in Cuba restricting locals from accepting tourists’ gifts has been largely ineffective as this type of economic gain was found to be well integrated in the informal economy. The general public is largely unaware of the policy and it is likely Cubans will continue to accept tourists’ gifts. Although this research has revealed interesting insight regarding tourists’ philanthropic gift-giving much remains to be known of its impacts and several recommendations for future studies are suggested.

When choosing a gift, the gift-giver has three distinct but interdependent goals: the item must 1) satisfy the recipient 2) be self-reflective for the gift-giver, and 3) indicate the nature of the relationship between the giver and the recipient. However, these goals are often mutually exclusive, making it infeasible for the giver to meet both his/her own and the recipient’s needs with his/her gift choices. In both essays we look at how the important moderator of social closeness between the giver and recipient influences givers’ prioritization of these goals. In Essay 1, we constrain givers to choose from a gift registry and posit that purchasing an identity-incongruent product can threaten an individual’s identity, particularly when purchasing for a close (vs. distant) friend who is an integral part of the self. Five experiments in the context of gift registry show that givers choosing identity-incongruent gifts for a close (vs. distant) friend experience an identity threat and seek to re-establish their shaken identities by endorsing the threatened identity and choosing identity-expressive products in subsequent decisions. In Essay 2 we loosen the constraints of the gift choice and allow givers to choose or reject the gift registry. Our main hypothesis is that when choosing for a close (vs. distant) friend, the giver will discount the recipient’s explicit preferences in favor of a gift that signals the giver’s identity or the relationship between them. However, prior research indicates that close friends choose inaccurately for one another as they conflate their own preferences with those of the recipients’. Thus we suggest that since givers are more likely to make a free choice (vs. registry choice) for a close (vs. distant) friend, they face an increased likelihood of choosing a less desirable gift for their close friends. / text

The bonding power of the gift has been the subject of much social scientific research. My dissertation adds to this by examining the relationship between gift giving and commitment to a social network or an employing organization. Ideas and concepts from social exchange and identity theories provide the theoretical underpinnings for this investigation. Social exchange theory views human interaction as a series of resource exchanges, and I contend that how people exchange resources may have ramifications for the bonds that develop between them and for their commitment to particular social relations. This study has two parts. In the first half of the dissertation, I ask whether the greater relational solidarity that results from direct reciprocal exchange, as opposed to negotiated exchange, differentially affects whether actors choose to leave their existing exchange networks for new ones and if so, why? Direct reciprocal exchange involves actors directly and independently giving resources to others without knowing whether the recipients of those resources will reciprocate in kind. Negotiated exchange involves actors jointly bargaining over the terms of an agreement. Differences between these two forms of exchange inform my causal argument about why actors are more like to stay in social networks if they participate in direct reciprocal exchange. I test this argument using an experiment. The second half of the dissertation continues this investigation into reciprocal exchange by examining the factors that affect gift giving in the workplace as well as the effects of gift giving on organizational commitment. Here, gift giving is defined broadly to include any act that involves people freely and independently volunteering to provide either tangible or intangible benefits to others without knowing if others will reciprocate. Data from a survey distributed to registered nurses working for a large healthcare organization provides the empirical basis for this investigation. Together the experiment and survey allow for an in-depth investigation into how exchange processes affect commitments to social networks and organizations. As such, the findings reported herein advance sociological understanding about how micro-level processes shape macro-level structures. They also speak to the practical issue of organizational retention.