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Assessing individuals' re-gifting motivations

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  • Guido, Gianluigi
  • Pino, Giovanni
  • Peluso, Alessandro M.

Abstract

This research investigates individuals' motivations to pass gifts on to other people, a practice known as re-gifting. In three studies, we develop and test a tridimensional scale of re-gifting motivations that encompasses: an individualistic motivation, whereby the re-gifter tries to maximize his/her personal utility; a detachment motivation, whereby the re-gifter seeks to preserve his or her relational distance from the re-giftee and/or the first giver; and a virtuous motivation, which captures the re-gifter's morally and socially desirable intent to benefit the re-giftee and/or preserve the material value of the gift. The individualistic and detachment motivations are stronger when the re-giftee is a distant other, whereas the virtuous motivation is stronger when the re-giftee is a close other. These results shed light on the social function of re-gifting and suggest that, despite often being stigmatized as a censurable behavior, this practice can sometimes be driven by a morally acceptable motivation.

Suggested Citation

  • Guido, Gianluigi & Pino, Giovanni & Peluso, Alessandro M., 2016. "Assessing individuals' re-gifting motivations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5956-5963.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:69:y:2016:i:12:p:5956-5963
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.05.008
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