An Investigation into the Intentions of Purchasing Executives to Reciprocate Vendor Gifts

In this study, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of gift cost, gift type, and buyer-vendor relationship status on purchasing executives' feelings of indebtedness, perceived manipulation, and intentions to reciprocate vendor gifts. The findings indicate that the likelihood of a business gift being reciprocated depends on the type of vendor gift received, the extent to which the buyer experiences a sense of indebtedness, and buyer perceptions of the level of manipulation associated with the gift. Evidence also indicates that the level of perceived manipulation associated with a gift is based on considerations of gift cost and type with respect to the buyer-vendor relationship status.