Gifting in business: Part I



The statue of Liberty - A gift from the French people to the American people




You must have given or received a gift from friends and acquaintances for some reason or another, as a show or respect, love, value may be even as a show of intention to build a closer relationship. In all, giving gifts has been around for a while, I would even dare say since the existence of mankind. It may be a gift to God (sacrifice) as a show of respect and worship, a gift to a lover to show affection, gifts to leaders (kings, queens, presidents) as a show of respect and adoration. It is true that a lot has to be considered before one can give a gift to another otherwise a good intention will end up with disastrous results. And trust me ignorance of a gift’s recipient likes and dislikes is no excuse for badly thought out gifts. Just imagine carrying a prime cut of pork as gift to a Muslim; it doesn’t matter at all how much regard you as the giver hold the gift item, when it comes to gifting its all about the receipt. If you have ever given a badly received gift you would agree with that it isn’t a good feeling to see disappointment/disgust at your well intentioned gifts.

I can go on and on about the dos and don’ts of gift giving but that would require that I write a book in several volumes because gifting is very interlinked with every peoples’ culture. And they are many cultures out there. All I can advice is that you need to consider a lot of angles especially when dealing with cultures that are not your own.

Gifting forms a big part of the business culture of the world in that millions (possibly billions) are spent every year by both big and small businesses on gifts. Gifts ranging from simple key chains and T-shirts, to high value plane tickets and collector items like wines and paintings exchange hands every year.

So as a person giving the gifts in a business setting, what must you consider? As mentioned earlier, when it comes to gifting the receiver is king, so it goes without saying that the most important thing one needs to look at the person who will be receiving the gift. This will in turn determine the value of the gift. You don’t want to find yourself in a position whereby you are handing Kibaki a key chain. The gift must be in tune to the status and place in life of the recipient. It’s not a good idea to give a gift that appears to be above the status of the person receiving it. Like giving a car to your account manager at your local bank may be misinterpreted and may even land a few people in trouble. Such a gift would be considered as overkill in a business setting. The status in life definitely determines the value (not price but value) they attach to a gift they receive.

As mentioned in the introduction the nature of the gift is also important to consider. For business reasons I would recommend something less personal or intimate. Something that can be shared in an office like a box of chocolates, or used in the course of the recipient’s line of work like a stethoscope to a doctor, or a pen to a government official (may be a coat hanger would be ideal if you know what am sayingJ).

The relationship between the giver and receiver must also be examined to ensure that no moral and legal issue may arise. The line between a gift and a bribe (greaser) is very thin and often than not very easy to cross and it is mainly because of the relationship people have. To those that hold the fate or whose decision affects the destiny of a given organisation; it would be immoral and in most countries illegal to give them a gift of high value. This breeds feelings of obligation in the recipient and may be viewed as an unfair advantage. This is even truer when dealing with government and public institutions. As the giver of the gift, it’s key to ensure that a gift is given in an open manner and doesn’t appear to be an under the table kind of gift which in that case it wouldn’t matter much what the gift was.

In case the gift is across borders/cultures then the culture of the recipient has to be considered. This is to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise for lack of knowledge of the recipient’s culture is no excuse for a gift in bad taste. For instance in Japan (the Far East countries) some numbers are considered to be bad luck while others very lucky numbers. So it follows that gifts bearing such numbers are considered lucky or unlucky. In other cultures it may not be numbers but may be some animals that are taboo or some words or some things. It’s up to the giver of the gift to consider all this.

To try and manage gifting in organizations, most organizations have come up with guidelines and policies to guide the employees on how to determine what gift is appropriate. Some policies are more extensive than others while some are poorly drafted and vague. A good policy should enable an employee intending to give a gift arrive at the right decision, firstly on whether to go ahead and give the gift, what gift is appropriate in terms of value and type, who qualifies to give a gift on behalf of the organization, and also under what circumstances the gift should be given. Such a policy should be clear and if possible with examples on several instances on how the policy applies. Lastly a policy is only good for the organization if it is well executed and implemented. There is no need for a well written guideline that just lies in a shelf gathering dust. Educating the employees on the content of the policies and promoting its understanding will ensure that the policy is well adhered to. Such a policy should also tackle the issue of how employees receive gifts because as sure as people give gifts in the course of business, they also receive them. But that is a discussion for another day in thecorneroffice. So choose your gifts wisely.