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Many of the papers comprising the gift-giving literature have givers and recipients evaluate potential gifts. That is, these studies either have givers forecast a recipient's reaction to a gift (e.g., predict how much it would be liked) and recipients react to the same gift (e.g., indicate how much they would like it), or they have both parties react to a gift (e.g., indicate the extent to which it is thoughtful). In the present work, we document how many of the findings in this segment of the gift-giving literature can be summarized by the same underlying theme: givers' responses exhibit greater sensitivity to differences in a gift's characteristics (e.g., its level of value, its attributes, the effort it required) than do recipients' responses. We call this idea the "oversensitivity in gift-giving phenomenon," and throughout this paper, we document the various findings that emulate this theme, outline its moderators, discuss several theoretical frameworks that could potentially explain why it emerges, detail its practical implications, and shed light on multiple paths for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates three common sales modes with live streaming commerce, including e-commerce platform mode, transferring mode and live streaming platform mode (abbreviated as E, T and L, respectively). Using game-theoretical method, we study how participants choose sales modes with consumer return. The findings show that for the seller and platforms, each mode may be the best, depending on basic net sales volume and channel rate. However, for the streamer, mode T will never be the best. On the other hand, product quality in mode L is always higher than that in mode T, and higher than that in mode E when live streaming platform's basic net sales volume is high. Furthermore, we show that hybrid mode may generate higher profits for members, except for the live streaming platform; and we also study the impacts of transferring loss, gift-giving function and streamer's dual-purpose on results through extensions, examining the robustness of the model, and deriving additional managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As embryonic stem cell research is commercialized, the stem cell debate may shift focus from concerns about embryo destruction to concerns about exploitation of the women who donate eggs and embryos for research. Uncomfortable with the polarization of the embryo debate, this paper proposes a more "contemplative" approach than intellectual debate to concerns about exploitation. After examining pitfalls of rigid intellectual positions on exploitation, the paper investigates the possibility of a broader understanding of donation for research where patients are seen as the intended beneficiaries of the donation. Together with other actors, research is perceived as mediating altruistic gift relationships that extend from donors to patients. The paper explores how this broader perspective on "donation for research" can open up new possibilities of understanding donation and addressing risks of exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Room-Effect originated in environmental psychology, where the room a person was in influences how they were judged by people. Subsequent studies extended this to the Room-Product-Effect indicating its application beyond the original domain of rooms or environments to designed products. It provides a new research method for investigating the effect a product has on the person associated with it. However, no review exists summarizing the research into the Room-Product-Effect from its inception to the present. Therefore, this paper provides a systematic review that elucidates the origin, and evolution of the Room-Product-Effect, while also describing the research methods employed in its investigation. To accomplish this, six databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, JStor, ProQuest, China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were used to search and locate relevant studies (the search was conducted from the time of database construction to 1 June 2023). A total of 7080 articles were retrieved. Eighteen articles that met the inclusion criteria were identified and included. This review introduces the concept, its origins, the development of the Room-Effect and the subsequent Room-Product-Effect. Additionally, ongoing research into the Room-Product-Effect are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent customer service avatars are widely used on online public welfare platforms. Interactions with intelligent customer service avatars may influence an individual's online giving behavior. Intelligent customer service avatars are characterized by both formal and behavioral realism dimensions. However, the existing literature focuses on exploring the impact of one of the dimensions of intelligent customer service avatars on individuals' online donation behavior, and less literature focuses on the joint impact of both dimensions of the avatars on individuals' online donation behavior. This paper explores the impact, mechanisms, and boundary conditions of two dimensions of intelligent customer service avatars on online donation behavior. The results of the study indicate that intelligent customer service avatars with high (vs. low) formal or behavioral realism positively influence individuals' online donation behavior, and that intelligent customer service avatars with high formal-high behavioral realism have the greatest positive impact on individuals' online donation behavior. Psychological closeness mediates the above effects. Importantly, the effect of intelligent customer service avatars on individuals' online donation behavior was more significant in the high (vs. low) attachment anxiety group. This study not only has important theoretical implications for the fields of avatar marketing, charitable giving, and consumer attachment style research, but also has important practical implications for promoting the future development and contextual use of intelligent customer service avatars in the charitable sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An instrument of wealth accumulation and racial segregation in housing markets, the intersections between zoning and labor are often overlooked. Extending theories of space, race, and class, and drawing on historical and archival evidence, I elaborate three ways that American land-use zoning emerged to shape labor markets in the early 20th century: (1) zoning constrained households from engaging in subsistence and direct market activity, acting as a regulatory source of labor commodification; (2) zoning first emerged as a xenophobic tool for regulating labor competition; and (3) zoning introduced racialized boundaries distinguishing formal work from a sphere of economic informality. I illustrate these theoretical-historical propositions with a study of the frontier origins of American land-use zoning laws in late-19th -century Los Angeles. This first and influential approach to residential zoning emerged amid racial dynamics of western settlement and the class politics of a national "free" labor market. I demonstrate how efforts to regulate the settlement and labor practices of poor urban households and Chinese immigrants on in Los Angeles became the direct legal basis for the dichotomous categories of "residential" and "industrial" districts that the city first defended before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1915. By theorizing the intersections of land-use zoning and labor markets, this paper provides a theoretical framework and historical genealogy for future work to consider entanglements of housing and labor politics amid the concurrent flexibilization of work and land use in the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a type of zero-determinant strategies, the extortion strategy was found to be an evolutionarily stable strategy in structural groups. However, instead of complex networks structure, this paper focus on a multi-group game in hypernetworks, using the framework of a gift giving game driven by replicator-like dynamics. We find that the extortion is evolutionarily stable in the hypernetwork structure. The extortion game in hypernetworks can promote the emergence of the cooperative behavior compared to the traditional dual-strategy game and the extortion game in complex networks. The results show that the cooperation behavior attracts most of the groups for the smaller benefit value. With the increase of benefit value, cooperators turn into defectors and extortioners, but cooperation behavior still survives in hypernetworks under extreme conditions. Moreover, small-scale groups are more conducive to cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that using a legal approach to fight against corruption having a cultural root is unlikely to be effective. By analyzing the Eight-point Regulation, one of Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption measures, the present study shows that the efficacy of the Regulation is limited, notably when it comes to non-economic types of corruption. In fact, the Regulation does not halt the culture of gift giving, which is a common practice for the Chinese to establish guanxi (social connection) for potential or actual corruption. Based on the findings, this paper proposes complementary measures to curb corruption in addition to legal approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper "An archeology of corruption in medicine" (2018), Miles Little, Wendy Lipworth, and Ian Kerridge ("the authors" or "Little et al.") present an account of corruption and describe its prevalent forms in medicine. In presenting an individual-focused account of corruption found within "social entities" (organizations, institutions, and systems), Little et al. argue that these entities are corruptible by nature and that certain individuals are prone to take advantage of the corruptibility of social entities to pursue their own ends. The authors state that this is not preventable, so the way to remedy corruption is via management and, where necessary, punishment. This commentary will briefly lay out the key features and functions of corruption as presented by Little et al., before providing a critical discussion that will focus on whether corruptibility is a necessary feature of social entities. I will propose that it is not a necessary feature, though it may frequently arise where individualistic values are unchecked. Corruption can be prevented within social entities by enhancing structures that direct toward virtue and which promote and reward cooperation instead of competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, we found many social exchanges within communities. In this study, we focus on exploring the driving forces behind social exchanges and their impacts on the social solidarity of local communities. Twenty-eight residents of separate communities are interviewed, and grounded theory is applied to have the motivation for social exchanges coded and analyzed. We find that reciprocal and generalized exchanges, rather than negotiated exchanges, occur in most communities. Among these exchanges, the willingness to share is stimulated by the traditional cultural norms taking place in online social groups. Residents will be propelled to carry on exchanges through sentiments cultivated within and to develop the micro social order through interactions in the media space. Social exchanges bring social solidarity to communities and develop it into a noticeable form consisting of functional, emotional, and communal aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Not only individuals and firms, but also families engage in business as a social activity and this is true beyond the case of family businesses. Cultural differences in the way families are construed might influence the way they do business. There are different types of families, and among these are those described by Aristotelian and Confucian traditions, representing the West and the East respectively. The literature on virtue in business has been dominated by a Western—mainly Aristotelian—tradition (Ferrero and Sison in Bus Ethics Eur Rev 30(1): 8–24, 2014), neglecting the role of the family and focusing on the individual. In this paper, we seek to fill this gap by explaining differences and similarities in the normative evaluation of certain family-related business attitudes and practices, in light of Confucian and Aristotelian virtue ethics standards. After comparing the structure, organization and dynamics of Aristotelian and Confucian families, we shall draw some inferences regarding "virtuous" or excellent business practices—such as nepotism, bribery, gift-giving and guanxi and attitudes—on codified rules or written norms. For this analysis we shall make use of Aristotelian and Confucian ethical accounts as well as inputs from Family Science applied to organizations, which provides conceptual categories to compare the two traditions. Thus we hope to contribute not only to the comparative study of Aristotelian and Confucian virtue ethics in business, but also to the understanding of the distinctive role of families, raising cultural awareness for what may be considered virtuous business practices according to the Aristotelian and Confucian traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between gift giving, guanxi and corruption through a study of the relationships between UK manufacturing companies in China and their local component suppliers. The analysis is based on interviews in the China-based operations of 49 UK companies. Interviews were carried out both with senior (often expatriate) staff and with local line managers who were responsible for everyday purchasing decisions and for managing relationships with suppliers. The results suggest that gift giving is perceived to be a significant problem in UK-owned companies in China. However the relationship between these payments and established understanding of gift giving within guanxi- networks appears to be weak. Gift giving appears to be associated with illicit payments, corruption and the pursuit of self-interest. Firms seek to reduce the incidence of illicit transactions by changing staff roles, instituting joint responsibilities, which include the separation of different aspects of sourcing/purchasing, increasing the involvement of senior staff in the process and through the education of employee and suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to understand the role of royal charitable gifts or dāna in the background of Hindu religious ideology of dharma, temple urbanism and political power in pre-modern South India. It examines the phenomena of large royal charities between the 14 and 16 centuries ACE under the Vijayanagar kings in the capital city of Vijayanagar (modern Hampi). The temple cities in the capital city owed their wealth largely to royal benefaction which was a continuation of Hindu religious tradition from ancient times. Drawing on iconographical, inscriptional and literary sources the paper explores the symbolic and religious values of benevolence which can shed light on temple patronage and Vijayanagar kingship. With the help of artistic and historical evidences, it provides a glimpse into the workings of mahādānas (large gifts) and relationship between the palace, bazaar and the temple. Through the mechanism of ritual gifting as an intrinsic aspect of ' dharmic' kingship, the Vijayanagar kings were able to maintain a complex set of interrelationships and networks of power. The institutionalization of traditional system of gifting, represented in official architecture and visual imagery reflects the dyanamism of a complex system of royal gifting that played an important role in the maintenance of religious and political power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'gift exchange theory' articulated by Marcel Mauss, along with his core concept of a threefold obligation (giving/receiving/returning), is the dominant theoretical framework used to explain the majority of gift issues in marketing. This perspective assumes that some interest always lies behind gifts, such that a gift always implies a counterpart of receiving something in return. Despite the relevance of this approach in understanding the day-to-day consumer behavior, this paper presents empirical cases where the consumer is also able to give freely, that is to say without implying a counterpart or even expecting it. To explain those empirical cases, we mobilize a key teaching of the Catholic Church: the 'gratuitous gift' and then introduce the concept of the 'need to give.' We show that gratuitousness is a relevant concept to understand most of gifts made by consumers, and we develop the normative aspect of gratuitous gift for ethical marketers (i.e., what ethical marketers should consider to understand consumers properly and in a more humanistic way). We also show that Catholic Social Teaching offers an appropriate anthropology to understand consumer behaviors motivated by this need for gratuitousness. To conclude, we propose further avenues of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will have on society in the short- and long-term are inherently uncertain. For this reason, many governments are avoiding strict command and control regulations for this technology and instead rely on softer ethics-based approaches. The Russian approach to regulating AI is characterized by the prevalence of unenforceable ethical principles implemented via industry self-regulation. We analyze the emergence of the regulatory regime for AI in Russia to illustrate the limitations of this approach. The article is based on 50 interviews with policymakers, representatives of AI companies, and academics in the country. The findings show that this regulatory regime was formed under the strong influence of Russian big tech companies, which saw an opportunity to avoid regulatory oversight by washing out concrete regulatory measures from the policy. This approach is part of a broader protectionist sanction-proofing strategy for the local IT sector designed by the government, which can be characterized by lifting regulatory barriers for local companies. Unenforceable ethics-based self-regulation is a regulatory gift from the Russian government to the industry. This gift was intentionally designed because the government thought that prioritizing local innovation over consumer protection would benefit the public. However, the gift can also unintentionally undermine the public interest by providing an opportunity for ethics washing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper expands the definition of gray-marketing to include some ethically problematic marketing activities and techniques used in personal selling in China. Based on this, a conceptual model of gray-marketing for a particular type of selling in which both the sellers and the buyers exhibit problematic ethics in an exchange and the associated hypotheses are developed and tested. The findings show that, first, the respondents have different ethical evaluations of different marketing practices used in personal selling such as giving and accepting gifts, buying and accepting meals, and offering and accepting kickbacks. Some of these practices may not be considered unethical. Second, in terms of ethical assessment, gray-marketing practiced by buying agents is more unacceptable than when practiced by sales agents. Third, a person’s ethical evaluation of gray-marketing behavior, empathy for gray-marketing, and belief that gray-marketing has serious consequences, significantly affects his inclination to use gray-marketing. This paper concludes with a discussion of some possible applications of our research findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

K'iis Xaadas (Kaigani Haida) of the southern Prince of Wales Archipelago have deep relationships with sockeye salmon with whom they share the waters of the region. Sockeye are central to K'iis Xaadas residents of Hydaburg, Alaska, as daily food, ceremonial food, gifts to family and friends, commercial exchange, and customary trade and are a key component of cultural symbolism that provides an iconic indication of the status of the K'iis Xaadas as distinct people. This relationship was originally founded at the time of European contact on lineage leaders' stream supervision and harvest decision-making coupled with a relationship grounded in a mythic charter of shared spiritual personhood. In the late 19th century, traditional principles were challenged and ultimately compromised as commercial exploitation of sockeye salmon by Euroamerican processors resulted in major decimations to the sockeye runs. This paper will trace the transformations of K'iis Xaadas relations with sockeye from the 19th into the 21st century culminating with a discussion of contemporary efforts to reestablish a tribal form of stewardship with sockeye salmon that has parallels with other Indigenous efforts elsewhere along the northwest coast of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As interest in competitive sports continues to grow, the demand for sports talent also increases. Talent development is not only a social and cultural process, but also one of mutual adaptation between talent and environment. The key elements of the macro environment of talent development are the social environment and the values and customs of the athletes' own culture, while the key elements of the micro environment of talent development are the athletes' interpersonal relationships and support elements provided through parents, coaches, and peers. To cultivate elite athletes, the influencing factors of the sports talent development environment must be analyzed. Thus, using relevant theories from the existing literature, the current study proposes a hypothesis of the influencing factors and structural equation model of sports talent development environment. A total sample of 352 athletes (M = 13.96 years, 63.35% male) was gathered from the national sports reserve talent base, college sports teams, and professional sportsmen. Data was collected using the Likert six-level scale of the sports talent development environment, which was then analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The results show that the athlete's training environment, support network, family characteristics, communication, and team conditions were all factors which had a positive and significant impact on the construction of sports talents' development environment. The findings of this study contribute to the theoretical foundation for the enhancement of the sports talent development environment in China, the cultivation of high-quality sports talent, and the promotion of healthy and stable sports development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of being indebted arises when someone borrows money and later on pays it back. Continuous indebtedness is when a person incurs several loans in a row, such as from banks, credit companies and relatives, without paying off the previous ones. The aim of this paper is to investigate how continuous indebtedness changes the structure of social relations. The Theory of the Gift provides a framework to analyse social bonds among people. A qualitative approach was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 19 indebted households. Findings point to four structures of social relationship trajectories that occur as a result of the continuous indebtedness process. These are Positive Gift Relationship, when the debt reinforces a social bond; Negative Gift Relationship, when a social bond is broken; Selfish Gift Relationship when a person wants to get out of a social bond and Vampire Gift Relationship, when the debt arises due to the debtor's desire to attract people of a certain reference group. Understanding how the continuous indebtedness process changes social relationships might help in the development of an action plan to avoid extreme financial situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of Chinese business managers’ moral philosophies on the perception of corrupt payments such as bribery, kickbacks and gift giving. Business managers from Mainland China were selected as target respondents. As hypothesized the survey results generally indicate that moral relativism is a significant predictor of Chinese business managers’ favorable perception of bribery and kickbacks. In examining the attitude toward gift giving, the survey showed that an individual’s attitude toward gift giving was neither affected by their moral relativism nor by their moral idealism, which implies that gift giving is widely accepted as legal practice in business in Chinese cultural society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revisit the jungle economy of Piccione and Rubinstein (Econ J 117(July):883-896, 2007) in which the allocation of resources is driven by coercion. In this economy the unique equilibrium satisfies lexicographic maximization. We show that relaxing the assumptions on consumption sets and preferences slightly, allocations other than lexicographic maximizers can be jungle equilibria. We attribute this result to single unilateral taking where a stronger agent takes goods from only one weaker agent. Once multiple unilateral takings are introduced, we show that jungle equilibria coincide with lexicographic maximization under weak assumptions. However, we also present examples of equilibria that are Pareto inefficient, where voluntary gift giving by stronger agents is needed to achieve Pareto efficiency and even voluntary trade has a role in the jungle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pacific people in New Zealand are a minority ethnic population identified in national prevalence studies as having the highest risk of developing gambling problems. As earlier studies identified some links between culture and gambling for this population, our study aimed to deepen understanding of these links and their role in explaining the disproportionate gambling harms experienced by Pacific people. To achieve this aim we employed intersectionality as a theoretical framework to explore the culture-gambling intersection for this population group. We analysed data from a subset of focus groups conducted for a broad study of gambling harms in New Zealand. The subset was selected based on the presence of individuals knowledgeable about Pacific people's gambling behaviours, including staff from Pacific problem gambling treatment services who provided examples from a cultural perspective. We identified themes at a latent level via an interpretive process to identify underlying cultural contexts of gambling harms. Findings indicated that whilst harms experienced by Pacific people were similar to those identified amongst the general population, the cultural contexts in which some harms manifested were complex. This paper contributes to the existing knowledge base about gambling harms for Pacific people in relation to six culture-gambling intersecting themes that emerged from the data: collectivism, gift-giving, gambling-based fundraising, patriarchy, beliefs about blessings, and sports celebrities. Findings are discussed in relation to the current knowledge of gambling and conceptualisations of gambling harm within Pacific communities. Implications for culturally appropriate harm minimisation strategies and prevention interventions for this population are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gift giving is a prevalent social custom, particularly in Chinese society. Since people do not act independently of social norms, they are also motivated by the views of others when giving gifts. However, there is no existing literature on this important topic for China. To fill this gap, based on the law of diminishing marginal utility, this study investigates the effects of social conformity on gift giving in China. A relative index is constructed to capture the following behaviours in gift giving. The likelihood of following behaviours is measured by a statistical model derived from utility functions. Panel and dynamic ordinal discrete regressions are employed for empirical analysis. A case study in China employing a nationally representative longitudinal dataset with 37,147 individuals over three periods is applied. The results show that overall, more than half of the population in China tends to follow others in regard to gift expenses. However, from 2014 to 2018, this tendency declined sharply. Men are more likely to follow their peers in gift expenditure than are women. Older people have a lower preference to follow others than young people. More specifically, the assumption of diminishing marginal utility in gift giving is fully supported by the empirical findings in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identity crafts for migration and citizenship purposes require the assistance of brokerage actors that help secure documents, advise on self-presentations, and vouch for relevant credentials. While recognizing the contradictory roles these intermediaries play in both facilitating and controlling migration and the porous boundary between for-profit and non-profit actors, scholars have yet to explore what challenges these characteristics pose to the organization of a particular brokerage transaction. How do these intermediaries reconcile their roles as migration facilitators and surrogate gatekeepers? Does it matter to present the transaction as driven by financial rewards or other loftier goals? How are the boundaries between different types of intermediaries enacted and contested? I explore these questions through the case of a religious organization that helps migrants establish their religious identities for asylum claims-making on religious grounds. Combining insights from the "relational work" approach with ethnographic research in Korean evangelical congregations in the U.S., I show how the template of gift giving allows the church to focus on making the faithful as God's intermediary, instead of screening them as the state's private deputy, and avoid an accusation that its trade with asylum-seekers turns the Christian persona into a quasi-commodity. The boundary between the church and commercial brokers, between gift giving and market exchange, however, is constantly contested and renegotiated through the interaction between the transaction parties. In conclusion, I discuss how the relational work approach can advance our comparative inquiry into the brokerage transactions facilitating the "profane" exchange of "sacred" identities for migration and citizenship purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their 2018 article in the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, Little, Lipworth, and Kerridge unpack the concept of corruption and clarify the mechanisms that foster corruption and allow it to persist, noting that organizations are "corruptogenic." To address the "so-what" question, I draw on research about trust and trustworthiness, emphasizing that a person's well-being and sense of security require trust to be present at both the individual and organizational levels—which is not possible in an environment where corruption and misconduct prevail. I highlight similarities in Little et al.'s framing of corruption to the persistent problem of scientific misconduct in research and publishing. I acknowledge the challenges in stemming corruption in science and medicine and conclude with a discussion about the need to reinvigorate a web of stakeholders to actively engage in professional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gift expenses escalated in China in the last decades with rapid economic growth and account for a substantial share of household expenditures. Rising gift expenses signal good friendships and facilitate reciprocity, which may enhance one's subjective wellbeing. However, increasing gift giving may also exacerbate the financial burden of households and thus has adverse welfare implications. This study examines how escalating gift expenses impact individuals' subjective happiness by using data from the China Family Panel Studies. Findings suggest that an increase in the ratio of gift expenses to household income can significantly decrease one's subjective happiness by crowding out other consumption items and harming psychological health. Overall, this study offers new insights into informal social networks maintained by gift giving, which may adversely affect household welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a trend to use rational and utilitarian paradigms to interpret the revival of folk religions, other human motives need to be acknowledged. Humans do behave in their economic and spiritual self-interests. But wider social and structural factors bind people into a moral community. To obtain a broader and more nuanced interpretation of exchange relationships, we apply Marcel Mauss' paradigm of "The Gift" to the ritual life of a Miao Tzu village (an ethnic minority of Southern China). This interpretation accounts for individual motives, such as for physical cures, healthy well-being, and favorable position in the afterlife. Simultaneously, Miao Tzu ritual life binds the community together with reciprocity to restore moral and emotional relationships. Our broader perspective aligns with David Palmer's "religious gift economy" that legitimizes exchange relations with the supernatural as appropriate as with gifting to other humans. Maussian theory lays the foundation for understanding religion, ritual, exchange, and reciprocity in a fundamentally inclusive and holistic way in a Miao Tzu village subject to the state development program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan has gained popularity among European university students as an ideal destination in exchange programs. This study aims to compare European students' perceived Chinese cultural values with those of Taiwanese students and to provide a deeper understanding of the cultural and social interactions of European students in Taiwan. A personal survey and in-depth interviews were administered in five major universities in northern, central, and southern part of Taiwan to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. European students consider few Chinese cultural values like knowledge, kindness, tolerance of others, and harmony with others higher than those of local Taiwanese students. In few traditional Chinese cultural values like gift giving, courtesy, prudence, Taiwanese students value them with higher scores than European students do. With reference to the Chinese culture in particular, European students have to deal with different teaching styles and different norms while communicating with instructors and local students in Taiwan. Five themes were formalized to describe European students' experiences in Taiwan focusing on lifestyles, acculturative stress, learning, language issues, and social interactions with local people. The learning adaptation, individually distinctive, converges to positive experiences through socio-cultural interactions, which makes the experiences valuable and precious. European students do not overlook European ways of engaging with instructors, but they perceived, internalized and demonstrated their learning process in Taiwanese higher education. Cultural interactions enrich teaching and learning environment which benefits European students and Taiwanese students to a great extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's first cohort of the sent-down youth during the Cultural Revolution has since its early years attracted considerable research interest and been analysed from a few different viewpoints. However, the gradual retreat from executing the sent-down policy, especially bingtui (return to urban centres of origin because of medical reasons) as the then widely used tactic, and its long-term impact on people's socio-political attitudes and behaviours have not been examined and evaluated adequately. This has resulted in a large discrepancy between the non-academic discourse of returning sent-down youth, including bingtui, and the academic literature on these aspects in both Chinese and English. As revealed by many non-academic publications, bingtui not only represented the emergence of a widespread popular resistance to the Maoist Cultural Revolution that involved mobilising those who were then sent to the countryside, but was also believed to be responsible for a surge in what has since become known as songli feng (a wave of gift-giving practice). Based on the information recorded in published personal memories of many sent-down youth and other published accounts, online and print, as well as the information collected from my own past observations and recent interviews, this article will go beyond both glowing and condemnatory documentations of the sent-down movement of the late 1960s and 1970s and seek to analyse how bingtui was started, how it was utilised by sent-down youth and their families and, importantly, how it had led more Chinese people to realise that certain aspects of their identity could be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research focusing on social anxiety and impairment in friendships has explored the role of specific behaviors within friendships, such as receiving favors from a friend, in its relation to social anxiety symptoms and friendship quality. In a prior study, we examined three types of reactions to favors (negative reactions to favors, positive reactions to favors, and expectation of tit-for-tat behavior) and explored how these reactions relate to social anxiety, which resulted in the creation of the Favor Scale, a measure of an individual's response to friendly giving. In the current study, we explore the psychometric properties of the Favor Scale in a sample of individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (GSAD) and a sample of healthy controls (NOSAD). Results largely replicated the three-factor structure of the Favor Scale (with the removal of a single item in the GSAD group) and findings suggested both tit-for-tat behavior and negative reactions to favors are elevated in GSAD individuals compared to NOSAD individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues that altruistic giving based on anonymity, which is expected to promote social solidarity and block trade in human body parts, is conceptually defective and practically unproductive. It needs to be replaced by a more adequate notion which responds to the human practices of giving and receiving. The argument starts with identification of the main characteristics of the anonymous altruistic donation: social separation of the organ donor (or donor family) from the recipient, their mutual replaceability, non-obligatoriness of donation, and non-obligatoriness of reciprocation on the recipient's part. Since these characteristics are also central to typical market relations, anonymous altruistic donation not only cannot promote solidarity but may encourage proposals for (regulated) markets of transplantable organs. Thus, transplant ethics needs to be reframed. It needs to be rooted in, rather than promote, the practices of giving and receiving known to human societies. As the basis for such reframing, the idea of sharing in another's misfortune is proposed. It relies on the human practices of giving and receiving and, with appropriate regulatory safeguards, can provide a better conceptual basis for blocking commercial exchanges of human body parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article adds to conceptualisations of philanthropy. Applying an ontological approach within an evolutionary perspective, it advances an analogous African narrative of pro-social transactions of gift-giving, or gifting, associated with Marcel Mauss. Originating on the continent, this relational behaviour is subject to indeterminate complex processes which co-determine any society's institutional design. Analysing gifting's sociopolitical influence on the continent pays attention to the (non-)agonistic as well as the 'vertical' and 'horizontal' features of gifting across pre- to post-colonial eras, examining their role in establishing patrimonial systems of governance. When gifting is set against (institutionalised) philanthropy's dominant discourse, issues for its critique are identified. Suggestions for further inquiry and implications for improving development on the continent are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited district level data on drug or alcohol use as well as sex and reproductive history among secondary school students in Tanzania to inform prevention efforts. To address this, we conducted a survey of 2523 secondary school students in 2 districts (Bahi and Mpwapwa) and the Dodoma municipal area in Tanzania. Overall, fifty three percent were female and 67% were between the ages of 15 and 17 years old. Students in the Dodoma Municipality district self-reported the highest prevalence of forced sex, sex for gifts or money, and drug use. Students in the Bahi district reported the highest prevalence of alcohol use. Males reported a higher prevalence of consensual sex, contraception use, and alcohol and drug use compared to females, the latter of whom reported a higher prevalence of forced sex. Most students' indicated that their primary source of sex and reproductive health information was their teachers. These results suggest the need for tailored interventions among secondary school students in the Dodoma region in Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents often provide generous financial transfers to their adult children, perhaps assisting with college expenses, recognizing major life course events, or cushioning against negative financial shocks. Because resources are limited, a transfer made to one child likely affects transfers made to others in the family. Despite such possibilities, data limitations have led previous authors to focus almost exclusively on a single type of transfer made at a single point in time. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the relationships among parental transfers for college and later cash transfers to all children within a family. We find that parents typically spend differentially on the postsecondary schooling of their children but find no evidence that this differential spending is offset by later cash transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain messages, even when not directly payoff relevant, can be a credible form of communication in light of natural social preferences. Social image concerns and other-regarding preferences interact to create incentives to communicate about how one feels about other people. Recognizing the prevalence of the incentive to communicate about one's social preferences suggests that many social and economic phenomena-from norms of etiquette to cooperation to gift exchange-should be seen, in part, as forms of signaling. These behaviors may be surprisingly robust to material costs, yet sensitive to context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research demonstrates that consumers support firms' CSR activities, and increasingly demand socially responsible products and services. However, an implicit assumption in the extant literature is that the purchaser and the consumer of the product are the same person. The current research focuses on a unique form of socially responsible consumption behavior: gift-giving. Through 30 depth consumer interviews, we develop a typology of consumers based on whether consumers integrate CSR-related information into purchases, and whether the purchases are for themselves or for others (i.e., gifts). We find that in some instances, consumers actively avoid purchasing products from socially responsible organizations and do so with the intention of managing their impressions with the gift recipient. This is counter to previous research that suggests consumers often choose to make socially responsible consumption decisions in efforts to satisfy self-presentation concerns. In addition, the decision to engage in socially responsible consumption for oneself but not for others was motivated by a variety of factors including the role of the recipient and a concern over the credibility of socially responsible gifts. Finally, some participants who do not incorporate CSR into their own personal consumption chose gifts based on a variety of CSR activities in an effort to build awareness for socially responsible organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to facing the known competitors in the formal economy, entrepreneurs must also be concerned with rivalry emanating from the informal economy. The informal economy is characterized by actions outside the normal scope of commerce, such as unsanctioned payments and gift-giving, as means of influencing competition. Scholars and policy makers alike have an interest in mitigating the impacts of such informal activity in that it might present an obstacle for legitimate commerce. Received theory suggests that country institutions can enable and constrain productive activity, and, in doing so, influence competitive obstacles in a country. Leveraging 13,670 responses from entrepreneurs distributed across 59 countries, we provide evidence that two particular types of enabling institutions, countries' property rights regulations and cooperative actions, are useful for lowering the obstacles presented by informal activity. We also find evidence that two constraining institutions, economic and financial regulations lead to more obstacles presented by informal activity. We describe implications for entrepreneurs, policy makers, and future researchers stemming from these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How are parental inter-vivos transfers to their children and children's informal care of parents influenced by personal characteristics, family conditions and state specific long term care policies? AHEAD data from 1993 and 1995 and a two-party choice model are used to guide the estimation of OLS and binary logit models of the amount and likelihood of inter-vivos transfers to children and informal care of parents. Results suggest that both parents' characteristics and their offspring's characteristics affect parental gifts to children and children's time assistance to their parents, highlighting the interdependent nature of these decisions. Furthermore, though state policies did not consistently affect parental gift giving, the availability of state respite care support -short-term 'breaks' for informal family caregivers- (1 % significance level) and adult day care centers (5 % significance level) were positively related to the amount and likelihood of children's time assistance to their parents. These findings highlight the importance of some state programs such as respite care support in encouraging intra-family support for the elderly. Support for programs that reduce the caregiving burden may encourage more children to care for their elderly parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of culture as an excuse for acts of corruption in governments. Western countries often said that gift giving by other outside cultures was no to be confused with bribery because they believed non-Western societies were incapable of telling the difference. Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria and founding member of Transparency International, expressed his displeasure that the gift-giving aspect of his culture had been perverted and corrupted into despicable behavior. A study of gift-giving in the cultures in the fourteen small countries that make up the Pacific Islands attempts to provide an understanding the problems of such gift-giving and corruption.

Those who have originated the AIDS Memorial Quilt have often referred to it as a “gift.” In this essay, the author discusses theories related to gift giving to discuss the quilt and its constructed effects for those who experience it as a gift. In particular, Weiner's notion of “inalienable possessions” is highlighted to address how the quilt, as a gift that is kept inalienable from its original creators, maintains historical identity and immortality for its originators, many of whom are gay and bisexual men. Also, Hyde's notion of “erotic gifts” is presented to consider the quilt's ability to draw people together, create feeling-bonds among them, and affect their transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural and moral differences between gift giving, bribery and corruption are assessed and the author sets forth guidelines for the ethical management of business relationships in China. Transactions based upon reciprocity are analyzed in terms of the action itself and the moral intention of the agents. The suggested guidelines are based upon two sets of beliefs, the moral ambiguity one experiences in differentiating bribes from gratuities and commissions and the situation in China with respect to political and business corruption. Moreover, sources and channels for communicating ethical messages and learn how managers can best communicate ethical standards and values to employees are also determined.

This research study sought to identify and categorize international marketing ethical problems that confront business managers in Australia and Canada. The study focused on ten major ethical problems developed from previous exploratory research. Managers from both countries indicate that the most frequently cited ethical problem is "gifts/favors/entertainment" and the most important ethical problem is "large-scale bribery". However, there exist significant differences in terms of rankings and mean values of frequency and importance ratings for other ethical problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses fundamental principles of cognitive psychology science on how psychology of pharmaceutical industry gifts to physicians. It refers to an article by D. Grande on his stance against pharmaceutical industry gifts to physicians and explains that PI is motivated to achieve a single goal to increase its sales. It also discusses the views of several clinicians on free samples who believes that free samples are most acceptable marketing gift from the PI.