The reciprocity It is the value that allows people to respond in the same way that they act. It tends to be considered as a positive merit, denoting gratitudeesteem or justice about the interpersonal relationships that develop in everyday life.
Many of the bonds of the human being are based on reciprocal practice, because even if one is not giving to receive, it is prudent to compensate others for what they do over time. The concept makes sense when it is a voluntary proceeding and with good intentions.
Examples of reciprocity in everyday life
1. Return favors
If a person is kind enough to do something for another, it is normal for there to be a willingness and gratitude in the bond that unites them. It is normal and correct.
This in such a way that if in the future that individual needs some support, there will be a sincere will to favor him, in compensation for the good behavior that he had in the past.
2. Give gifts
When someone invites their friends or family to a party for their birthday, it is reciprocal to bring some kind of gift to honor the person being celebrated. This is a symbol that if there was such attention to the guests, they also want to reciprocate the gesture.
Likewise, it occurs at the moment in which an executive goes on a trip abroad for a labor matter. It is normal that when he returns from his destination, he takes with him some gifts for the secretary who helped organize the itinerary and was available to solve any setbacks.
3. Division of tasks
Both in personal, family and academic life, there will often be a need to teamwork. Being prepared involves contemplating the fact that you must delegate to achieve optimal results in the assigned tasks.
If it comes to household activities, it is vital to organize with family members. In this planning, Juan José sweeps the living room, Ana washes the clothes and Andrea is in charge of cleaning the bathrooms. In this context, at the end of the day everyone will have done something and everyone will collaborate with the domestic cleaning.
4. Joint work
In the same way, there forms of reciprocity at home, at school and even at university. If one of the students is better at math and offers to guide one of her classmates in those subjects, she can count on that person’s advice if she is having trouble in biology or science.
Being able to return the favor or be willing to provide other support is putting into practice this concept, which is very common today.
5. Payment of services or taxes
In a broader sense, if citizens pay taxes, it is to receive some kind of benefit in exchange for it. The advantage is not always tangible, but the fact of having a competent and solvent State is necessary.
By honoring these commitments, government or fiscal entities have the duty to provide good services to their population. The same goes for services such as electricity, water or gas. Customers pay and companies guarantee to serve optimally in their area.
6. Productivity Awards
Given the optimal performance of a company worker, those in charge of personnel management usually deliver some type of recognition for your efforts. This sum of money, gift or labor facility is compensation for the good work done in a specific period.
At this point, consideration is given to Incentive Plan Examples, where employers somehow motivate their team members. This with the purpose of increasing the productivity of the worker and, in turn, improving the profitability of the organization.
7. International agreements
Just as people do, world governments also reach agreements that denote reciprocal behaviors. Their alliances revolve around cooperation efforts, joint work and non-obstruction of stipulated activities in a territory.
It is possible that a nation allows another to move through its territorial waters, on the condition that there is an exoneration of certain taxes before the passage of merchandise derived from the advantages and disadvantages of international trade.
8. Contracts
Workers sign a contract with a company and obtain financial compensation in exchange for their services. This is the most elementary form of reciprocity, since it is implicit in most of the world’s business dealings.
Money is the exchange currency that is offered before the provision of goods and services par excellence. In the different world markets, there are people and companies that solve problems for society, while they give economic or material resources in exchange.
9. Barter
The so-called barters happen between farmers, ranchers and merchants. Some contribute grains, rice or beans, while others compensate the contribution with meat, beef and animal proteins in a variety.
In these cases, the money does not represent any merit in the transaction, which can be done with total informality. The value really resides in interchangeable products or services, which solve some problem and satisfy a need.
10. Changing of the guard
If some workers perform their duties on call, it is possible that in one of these cycles there are moments in which other commitments arise. If a father of a family has to go to his company and on the same day his son falls ill, he changes guard with a colleague.
Despite the fact that the decision was to pay for the moment, the beneficiary usually makes himself available to “pay” with work for the time his colleague invested. This also works when there are social commitments, unforeseen trips or absences that cannot be resolved in any other way.