When business reciprocity is appropriate and when it is not

Certain types of reciprocity are appropriate; others are not in business. This article looks at three types of reciprocity – gifts, kickbacks, or kickbacks – and how to distinguish them.

One type of business reciprocity that would be ethical and appropriate would be a gift, which is something that is given without anyone expecting you or the company to do something for that person in return. Typically, such a gift would be something of little value, designed to create warm, positive feelings and show appreciation, or it could be given in a spirit of friendship and continued good relationship. For example, some common gifts that would be ethical and appropriate are: a bottle of wine, flowers, a framed photo, a small memento of an activity, a calendar, a poster, or any number of small embossed gifts available through specialty stores. in advertising they can personalize the gift with the recipient’s name. As an example of this general acceptance of these small gifts, several of these premium services are accepted in the business community. Some owners are even on the board of the local Chamber of Commerce, showing that there is widespread support for these types of premium gifts as an accepted and ethical form of practice. Some members of the Chamber also offer prize draws, which are designed to gain recognition for the company, but there are no strings attached to whoever wins the prize. So, as a manager of a company, you can ethically offer that award.

However, it would be unethical to offer a bribe or kickback. A bribe is a gift or monetary payment of value to influence someone to do something, while a bribe is a gift or monetary payment of value paid after an exchange. The difference between giving a gift and a bribe is that a bribe is large enough to influence someone to do something or not do something, whereas a bribe is paid after the fact, whereas there is no such expectation with the gift. For example, a bribe could take the form of an expensive free trip to a travel destination by a hotel or resort in exchange for promoting the hotel or resort, while a bribe could provide that free trip after the trip is concluded. treatment. Often hotels or resorts offer a free trip to reporters, meeting planners and travel agents to introduce them to their hotel or resort, but that is ethical if journalists are not expected to have to write a favorable article, that Meeting organizers must reserve. a meeting there, or that travel agents have to favor your hotel or resort over another hotel or resort that would be a better deal. However, it is ethical for journalists, meeting planners or travel agents to make a voluntary decision after the trip about what they want to do based on what is best for their readers or clients.

The key difference that draws the line between what is ethical and unethical is the size of the item offered as a gift and the expectation that someone will act in response to having received or received it in the future to benefit the giver of the item in a way. that they would not otherwise act if it weren’t for receiving a gift. This influence would be an even greater ethical gap if it leads the recipient to act in ways that are detrimental to others, such as offering an inferior or more expensive service for receiving the gift. An even worse infraction would be offering a product or service that is harmful, such as sending tourists on a trip by a wholesaler who has inexperienced guides, resulting in the death or injury of some participants.