Gift Exchange Rituals in the Workplace: A Social Roles Interpretation

Consumer research on gift giving has focused on the ritual as a means of creating and maintaining family and friendship relationships (Belk, 1976; Belk & Coon, 1993; Cheal, 1988; Ruth, Otnes, & Brunel, 1999). The scant research in workplace contexts has typically examined interorganizational gifts exchanged between a firm, or its representatives, and those outside of the firm such as suppliers or customers (Beltramini, 1992, 1996; Dorsch, Grove, Pickett, & Kelley, 1997).