Reciprocity is the new (old) paradigm in business.  It is offered as an alternative to a traditional Hobbesian perspective.  The Hobbesian paradigm in which relationships are essentially a competition with incompatible self-interests leading to a winner and a loser is an inaccurate, albeit a traditionally accepted philosophical underpinning for social critique.  The unexamined assumption of the validity of the egoism/altruism dichotomy has lead to an inherent bias on the part of the critics, and therefore needs to be replaced with the Aristotelian concept of reciprocity as the dominant paradigm for interactions between individuals.  Reciprocity, the giving of benefits to another in return for benefits received, is a defining feature of social exchange.  Cooperation (reciprocity) is our natural inclination as humans.  Strong reciprocity is the natural evolution of traditional reciprocity.

It is the people within any enterprise, and their interactions with each other, that ultimately produce excellence or mediocrity.  Aristotle viewed the polis as a partnership for living well , a collaboration, a partnership entered into for the purpose of living well.   Business are activities creating, maintaining, and altering structures within which people can enter into partnerships for living well.  Reciprocity is the driving force behind successful businesses.