Givers versus Takers
There is a reason why the biblical phrase "it is better to give than to receive" is so popular. For a long time, authors described successful people in business as having talent and luck, but nowadays according to Adam Grant, they share another quality; they give back (Brandom, 2013, para 1). In this context a dilemma surfaces. One component that distinguishes organized cultures is whether the cultures themselves are framed by giver or taker philosophies. The main reasons that make the giver culture better is the preferences for reciprocity, the mission of the company, and the success of the philosophy.
In the frenetic world of business development, companies differ in their preferences for reciprocity. At this point in time, most businesses are anchored with two extremes: the takers and the givers. In giver environments, employees operate as high-performing intelligence to: help others, share knowledge, offer mentoring, and make connections without expecting anything in return. At the other end of the spectrum, the norm is to get as much as possible from others while contributing less in return. Taker employees help only when they expect the personal benefits to exceed the costs, as opposed to when the organizational benefits outweigh the personal costs (Grant, 2013, para. 3). Takers are selfish, and evaluate what other people can give them. Givers, however, are characterized for being selfless, giving more emphasis to what others require from them. Many people limit the giver label to prodigious heroes such as Mahatma Gandhi. Phenomenal acts are not required for being a giver, only strategic acts (Grant, 2013, para 15). Giver and takers are not defined by their affinity for money. Rather, they differ in their attitudes and actions toward other people.
A Company environment starts with the organization’s leadership, and how they create, communicate, and behave to support the
References: Brandon. (2013). Why Givers (Not Takers) Usually Win. Retrieved October 21, 2013 from http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/qanda-adam-grant-author-of-give-and-take.html Grant. (2013). Givers take all: The hidden dimension of corporate culture. Retrieved October 21, 2013 from http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/givers_take_all_the_hidden_dimension_ of_corporate_culture Grant. (2013). Good Return. Retrieved October 21, 2013 from http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0713/feature2_1.html Popova. (2013). Givers, Takers, and Matchers: The Surprising Science of Success. Retrieved October 21, 2013 from http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/04/10/adam-grant- give- and-take/ Stenger. (2013).What’s The Real Secret to Success? A "Giver" Instinct. Retrieved October 21, 2013 from https://www.stengerandcompany.com/blog/86-what-s-the-real-secret-to- success-a- giver-instinct