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(Not) giving the same old song and dance: Givers’ misguided concerns about thoughtfulness and boringness keep them from repeating gifts

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  • Givi, Julian

Abstract

Much of the time when a gift giver is selecting a gift, the recipient is someone whom the giver has given a gift to previously. The present work explores how givers’ decision-making and recipients’ desires are influenced by prior gifts given from giver to recipient; in particular, this research examines whether givers and recipients agree when it comes to the decision of whether to repeat a gift that the giver previously gave to the recipient (a “repeat” gift), or opt for a different gift that the giver is yet to give to the recipient (a “novel” gift). Nine studies demonstrate that givers do not give repeat gifts nearly as often as recipients prefer because givers perceive the act of giving a repeat gift to be less thoughtful and more boring than do recipients. Critically, givers avoid repeat gifts even when they are thought to be better matches with recipients’ preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Givi, Julian, 2020. "(Not) giving the same old song and dance: Givers’ misguided concerns about thoughtfulness and boringness keep them from repeating gifts," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 87-98.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:117:y:2020:i:c:p:87-98
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.023
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    Cited by:

    1. Julian Givi & Yumei Mu, 2023. "The Oversensitivity in Gift-Giving Phenomenon," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 619-631, December.
    2. Wu, Ruomeng & Steffel, Mary & Shavitt, Sharon, 2021. "Buying gifts for multiple recipients: How culture affects whose desires are prioritized," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 10-20.
    3. Park, Yookyung & Yi, Youjae, 2022. "Is a gift on sale “heart-discounted†? Givers’ misprediction on the value of discounted gifts and the influence of service robots," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

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