Gender‐role views and gift‐giving behaviors in Israel

Purpose – The paper intends to enrich the set of national contexts used so far in studies about gift‐giving. It also intends to test the unique explanatory power of the dimensions of egalitarianism. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a survey methodology with an Israeli sample. Findings – The results suggest that egalitarianism affects gift‐giving behaviors only for females and anniversary presents. Research limitations/implications – The research is not cross‐cultural per se . Thus, further research is needed in nations that are maximally different from the USA and Israel on their cultural dimensions. Practical implications – Strong social norms about gift‐giving “protocol” may override the effect of egalitarianism attitudes on gift‐giving behavior. Thus, marketers can benefit greatly from creating, nurturing, and promoting ritualistic and structured gift‐giving situations. Originality/value – The paper examines gift‐giving in Israel, a culturally different setting than the USA and other developed nations. It also extends the use of gender‐role attitudes, especially egalitarianism, as a predictor of gift‐giving behaviors.