Cowboy Ethics: Marketing Gimmick or Business Ethics Tool?

Abstract

The ten principles of cowboy ethics, as developed by James Owen (2004), have gained attention and application, particularly in Western U.S. states, in recent years, as evidenced by their adoption by both business and government entities. This paper examines Owen’s principles for parallels to commonly used ethical frameworks drawn from moral philosophy. A sample of students enrolled in a Marketing Ethics class at a Western U.S. university completed an open-ended survey matching ethical frameworks to the cowboy ethics principles. Though levels of agreement were not particularly high, parallels were most often drawn between cowboy ethics principles and Utilitarianism, the Golden Rule, the Professional Ethic, and the TV Test or Open Forum Rule. Further research of a more structured nature may help to identify clearer roots for the cowboy ethics principles.