The Currency of Reciprocity: Gift Exchange in the Workplace
通过实地实验发现，非货币礼物比等值货币更能提升工人绩效；工人虽偏好现金，但互惠行为却与非货币礼物时相似，表明礼物的心意比价值更重要。
What determines reciprocity in employment relations? We conducted a controlled field experiment to measure the extent to which monetary and nonmonetary gifts affect workers' performance. We find that nonmonetary gifts have a much stronger impact than monetary gifts of equivalent value. We also observe that when workers are offered the choice, they prefer receiving money, but reciprocate as if they received a nonmonetary gift. This result is consistent with the common saying, “it's the thought that counts.” We underline this point by showing that monetary gifts can effectively trigger reciprocity if the employer invests more time and effort into the gift's presentation.