Monday, November 5, 2012

Business Rules In Accepting Corporate Gifts

By Patricia Campbell


It is a common gesture to give gifts in the Singapore commercial industry. A lot of shops give their buyers small items of gratitude. Employers give incentives to their staff. Companies give gift packages to their trade clients. Gift giving not only reinforces business relationships, but also aims to gain loyalty from recipients. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks that it's a purely positive act. When other people misinterpret it or if they have a secret agenda, gift giving can turn into a problem.

Companies usually give away corporate gift products such as ballpoint pens, paperweights, refrigerator magnets, and memo pads. They give these mass-produced products to their staff and to their clients. For their investors and client partners, they usually give more expensive items, such as wine baskets, gift baskets, collector's item pens, and gadgets.

Expensive gift giving Singapore gifts have repercussions, though. They might be deemed a bribe, and therefore inappropriate, especially if they are really expensive. Even though the act is in good faith, others might think that it's a bribe in certain situations, like when the giver and the recipient's respective organisations are in the brink of signing a new arrangement jointly. They would think that the agreement happened because of the gift even though it's not.

That's why there are firms that completely prohibit their employees to accept any present from clients or other firms. They wish to avoid any talk about bribery, whether true or not. The employees can't even accept a seemingly inconsequential and inexpensive present, like a coffee or lunch treat, since it may still be read as accepting a business favour.

Some Singapore firms, meanwhile, are more relaxed in their rules about accepting presents. They allow their staff to accept Singapore corporate gifts if the presents don't go over a certain value. As for high-end presents, some firms allow their staff to accept them as long as the recipients would put it on record.

Giving Singapore corporate gifts to clients or executive partners is not inappropriate. In fact, it is usually done to solidify the relationship between companies. But there are also times when it can attract negative attention even if it's done in good faith. Before buying a gift to one of a firm's staff, it is better to research about the company's gift receiving protocols first.




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