Skip to main content

Ethics in Business Practice: Marketing Management

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Business Ethics

Part of the book series: India Studies in Business and Economics ((ISBE))

  • 1649 Accesses

Abstract

In a market economy, a business may be expected to act in what it believes to be its own best interest. The purpose of marketing is to create a competitive advantage. An organization achieves an advantage when it does a better job than its competitors at satisfying the product and service requirements of its target markets. Those organizations that develop a competitive advantage are able to satisfy the needs of both customers and the organization. Practicing ethics in marketing means deliberately applying standards of fairness, or moral rights and wrongs, to marketing decision making, behavior, and practice in the organization.

The function and practice of marketing has been criticized because it is claimed that it deliberately creates partial truths about products and services and exploits the fears and weaknesses of fellow human beings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Marketing Association. What are the definitions of marketing and marketing research? http://www.marketingpower.com/content4620.php. Accessed 8 Dec 2004

  • Bartels R (1967) A model for ethics in marketing. J Mark 31:20–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellizzi JA, Hasty RW (2003) Supervising unethical sales force behavior: how strong is the tendency to treat top sales performers leniently? J Bus Ethics 43:337–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowman JS (1976) Managerial ethics in business and government. Bus Horiz 19(5):48–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll AB (1975) Managerial ethics: a post-watergate view. Bus Horiz 18(2):75–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Innocenzio A (2005) Apparel suppliers, retailers spar over finances. Coloradoan April 24, E3

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunfee TW, Smith NC, Ross WT Jr (1999) Social contracts and marketing ethics. J Mark 63(3):14–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer RN (1967) Would you want your daughter to marry a marketing man? J Mark 31:1–3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer RN (1977) Would you want your son to marry a marketing lady? J Mark 41:15–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer RN (1987) Would you want your granddaughter to marry a Taiwanese marketing man? J Mark 51:111–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell OC (2004) Business ethics and customer stakeholders. Acad Manag Exec 18(2):126–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell OC (2005) A framework for understanding organizational ethics. In: Peterson RA, Ferrell OC (eds) Business ethics: new challenges for business schools and corporate leaders. M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, pp 3–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell OC, Ferrell L (2005) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell OC, Gresham LG (1985) A contingency framework for understanding ethical decision making in marketing. J Mark 49(3):87–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell OC, Mark Weaver K (1978) Ethical beliefs of marketing managers. J Mark 42(3):69–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell OC, Fraedrich J, Ferrell L (2005) Business ethics: ethical decision making and cases. Houghton Mifflin, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman RE (1984) Strategic management: a stakeholder approach. Pitman, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry M, Polonsky MJ (2004) Examining the unintended consequences of marketing. J Bus Res 57:1303–1306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goolsby JR, Hunt SD (1992) Cognitive moral development and marketing. J Mark 56(1):55–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenley GE, Hooley GJ, Broderick AJ, Rudd JM (2004) Strategic planning differences among different multiple stakeholder orientation profiles. J Strateg Mark 12:163–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gundlach GT, Murphy PE (1993) Ethical and legal foundations of relational marketing exchanges. J Mark 57(4):35–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hemphill TA (2005) Rejuvenating Wal-Mart’s reputation. Bus Horiz 48:11–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg C, Krohmer H, Workman JP (2004) A strategy implementation perspective of market orientation. J Bus Res 57:1331–1340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt SD, Vitell S (1986) A general theory of marketing ethics. J Macromark 6(Spring):5–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt SD, Vitell S (2005) Personal moral codes and the Hunt-Vitell theory of ethics. In: Peterson RA, Ferrell OC (eds) Business ethics: new challenges for business schools and corporate leaders. M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, pp 18–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt SD, Wood VR, Chonko LB (1989) Corporate ethical values and organizational commitment in marketing. J Mark 53(3):79–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones TM (1991) Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: an issue-contingent model. Acad Manag Rev 16:366–395

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimery KM, Rinehart SM (1998) Markets and constituencies: an alternative view of the marketing concept. J Bus Res 43:117–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein JG, Smith NC, John A (2004) Why we boycott: consumer motivations for boycott participation. J Mark 68(3):92–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeClair DT, Ferrell OC, Fraedrich JP (1998) Integrity management: a guide to managing legal and ethical issues in the workplace. University of Tampa Press, Tampa

    Google Scholar 

  • Maignan I, Ferrell OC, Ferrell L (2004) Corporate social responsibility and marketing: an integrative framework. J Acad Mark Sci 32(1):3–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maignan I, Ferrell OC, Ferrell L (2005) A stakeholder model for implementing social responsibility in marketing. Eur J Mark 39:956–977

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt AD (2005) N.J. AG Sues Blockbuster over Ads. Phila Bus J February 18, p 42

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller RL, Lewis WF (1991) A stakeholder approach to marketing management using the value exchange models. Eur J Mark 25(8):55–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy PE, Laczniak GR, Bowie NE, Klein TA (2005) Ethical marketing. Pearson Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips CF (1939) Some theoretical considerations regarding fair trade laws. J Mark 3:242–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robin DP, Reidenbach RE, Forrest PJ (1996) The perceived importance of an ethical issue as an influence on the ethical decision-making of Ad managers. J Bus Res 35:17–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp FC, Fox PG (1937) Business ethics. D. Appleton-Century Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Sentencing Commission (2003) Report of the Ad Hoc advisory group on the organizational sentencing guidelines. www.ussc.gov/corp/advgrprpt/advgrprpt.htm

  • Vargo SL, Lusch RF (2004) Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. J Mark 68(2004):1–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer India

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gupta, A.D. (2014). Ethics in Business Practice: Marketing Management. In: Business Ethics. India Studies in Business and Economics. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1518-9_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics