Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Dr. Lisa Cavanaugh of the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business about our favorite topic: selfish giving!

Lisa, along with Francesca Gino (Harvard Business School) and Gavan Fitzsimons (Fuqua School of Business) wrote When Doing Good Is Bad in Gift Giving: Mis-Predicting Appreciation of Socially Responsible Gifts. 

Megan, Lisa, and Joe discuss:

• How it was Lisa’s own giving of socially responsible gifts that sparked her interest in exploring why they are given and how they are received.
• How the positive reception of a socially responsible gift depends on the social distance between you and the person that’s receiving the gift.
• Just how egocentric we are when choosing gifts for others and the importance of empathy for giving gifts the receiver will love.
• Other research Lisa has done and the power of one emotion: LOVE!
• Lisa’s advice for giving socially responsible gifts.

Links & Notes

• When Doing Good Is Bad in Gift Giving: Mis-Predicting Appreciation of Socially Responsible Gifts
• WSJ: Socially Responsible Gifts Are Great - Primarily for the Givers
• Dr. Cavanaugh’s Website
• Making People Cry Isn’t a Good Nonprofit Mobile Strategy