KitKats and Boiling Kettles: Understanding Reciprocal Relationships in the Workplace

Often referred to as a law, principle, norm or rule, reciprocity can be defined as a state or condition of free interchange or mutual responsiveness. This paper considers the importance of reciprocity in organisational settings, whilst identifying three reciprocal exchange behaviours of which leaders should be aware. A Socratic dialogue using the Nelson/Heckmann approach is adopted as a research method, with the primary methodological concern being that of the axiological field of philosophy. Axiology deals with the nature of value and asks what is intrinsically worthwhile. This can lead to multiple questions about what we value in an organisational context. The central value being explored in this research activity is reciprocal exchange and its importance to organisational success. The dialogue involves three middle management leaders reflecting on why they work reciprocally. Adopting an inductive content analysis approach, three key themes emerge from the dialogue transcript: the importance of ‘small gestures’, ‘safety and threat’ and ‘not keeping count’. One of the conclusions of this paper is that from an organisational leadership perspective, ‘generalised’ reciprocal exchange behaviours can create the 'durable ties’ needed in balanced and thriving organisations.