Factors influencing the perception of transactions as gifts or bribes in an online vignette experiment

The study examines the distinction between gifts and bribes, investigating how the relationship between the giver and recipient, the value of the gift, and the form of the gift affect whether people view a transaction as a gift or bribe. In an online experiment, 521 US participants evaluated eight hypothetical scenarios. Results indicate that gifts are more likely to be perceived as bribes if they are of a higher value, monetary, and given in purely professional relationships. These factors may influence perceptions of reciprocity expectations, and hence the classification of a transaction as a bribe or a gift. Lay perception of bribery by gifts should be considered in the design of organizational rules related to giving and receiving gifts.