Half a Century of Marketing Ethics: Shifting Perspectives and Emerging Trends

Schlegelmilch, Bodo B.; Öberseder, Magdalena

doi:10.1007/s10551-009-0182-1

Cited by 144 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…However, it was not until the early 1980s that the important role of ethics in marketing became widely recognized by business practitioners, when, for the first time, many companies and professional associations began to adopt certain codes of ethics in conducting their operations. Reflecting this, academic interest has grown exponentially, with dozens of studies conducted on the subject (see, for example, reviews by Nill and Schibrowsky (2007), O'Fallon and Butterfield (2005), Öberseder (2010), andVitell (2003)). These can be categorized into five major streams, which are elaborated in the following.…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(a) the pertinent literature is very diverse, fragmented, and, sometimes, conflicting, with only a few efforts made to examine antecedents and outcomes of unethical marketing behavior, as this is perceived by consumers (Schlegelmilch and Öberseder, 2010); (b) the knowledge of firms about consumer attitudes toward unethical marketing practices is still limited, necessitating an in-depth understanding of both their sources of formation and behavioral responses (Brunk, 2010); (c) the simultaneous analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships between key constructs determining and/or resulting from consumer-perceived marketing unethicality is virtually absent (Crane, 2005); and (d) the role of certain demographic factors (e.g., gender, age, education) in shaping the ethical perceptions of consumers was not so clearly defined due to the existence of conflicting and/or non-significant results.…”

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cultural drivers and trust outcomes of consumer perceptions of organizational unethical marketing behavior

Leonidou

Leonidou²,

Kvasova³

2013

European Journal of Marketing

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Purpose -The article develops and tests a model that focuses on the cultural drivers and trust outcomes of consumer perceptions on issues pertaining to the unethical marketing behavior of firms. It specifically investigates: the role of cultural orientation in forming consumer ethical ideology; the link between the consumer's ethical ideology and his/her perceptions regarding the unethical marketing behavior of firms; the effect of perceived unethical marketing behavior on trust in firms; and the moderating role of gender, age, and education of the consumer.Design/methodology/approach -The article is based on a quantitative survey conducted among 387 Cypriot consumers aged 18 and above, using stratified random sampling procedures. The items comprising the constructs used were derived from multiple literature sources and these were measured on a seven-point Likert scale. Data were gathered through personal, face-to-face interviews conducted at central locations in all major towns of Cyprus. To test the hypothesized relationships among the constructs of the model, structural equation modeling was employed.Findings -The study confirmed that both power distance and uncertainty avoidance are important in forming idealistic attitudes, while both individualism and masculinity lead to an egoistic attitude. Idealism was observed to have a positive association with perceived marketing unethicality, while egoism was found to negatively affect consumer perceptions of unethical marketing behavior by firms. It was also revealed that perceived unethical marketing behavior decreases consumer trust. The study also revealed that the link between idealism and perceived marketing unethicality is stronger among male and older individuals, while consumer's level of education had no moderating impact on this link. Finally, none of the consumer demographics examined (i.e., gender, age, and education) moderated the association between egoism and perceived unethical marketing behavior.Research limitations/implications -The findings of the study offer useful implications for business managers (e.g., adopting an ethical marketing spirit), public policymakers (e.g., establishing a broader set of ethical guidelines for marketers), and consumer pressure groups (e.g., making consumers act as 'watchdogs' of potential unethical marketing practices). The findings of the study should be seen within the context of limitations pertaining mainly to the fieldwork country, the cross-sectional design, and the sampling unit used.Originality/value -The originality of the study lies in the fact that: it puts together in a single model both antecedents and outcomes of the marketing unethicality of firms, as this is perceived by the individual consumer; concurrently examines the role of cultural orientation and ethical ideology of the consumer in forming ethical attitudes and responses; focuses on the instrumental role of cultural characteristics on consumer ethical perceptions from the perspective of the individual, rather than the society as a whol...

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Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Previous Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural drivers and trust outcomes of consumer perceptions of organizational unethical marketing behavior

Leonidou

Leonidou²,

Kvasova³

2013

European Journal of Marketing

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“…According to him the responsibilities of the consumers towards stakeholders (involving one to one relationship) comes under the umbrella of "consumer ethics" whereas the responsibilities of the consumers towards society as a whole are termed as "consumer social responsibility". Schlegelmilch & Magdalena (2010) in their state of the art review have forecasted a bright future for consumer ethics. According to them, this field "still has to catch up" especially from the context of socio-demographic aspects, psychographic variables and ethical consumers.…”

Section: Consumer Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumer Ethical Decision Making: Linking Moral Intensity, Self-Consciousness and Neutralization Techniques

Shah¹,

Amjad²

2017

AABFJ

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The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of moral intensity on self-conscious emotions and neutralization techniques in the context of ethical decision making among consumers. A sample of 388 shopping mall retail consumers was recruited through self-administered survey technique. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation was carried out in SPSS whereas the measurement model and structural relationships were estimated using AMOS.Results indicate that moral intensity positively influences consumer's self-consciousness, neutralization techniques and behavioural intention. Self-consciousness negatively influence consumer's defence mechanism i.e. neutralization techniques. Neither self-consciousness nor neutralization techniques is found to have an impact on consumers' behavioural intention. Only self-consciousness is found to complementary mediate the relationship of moral intensity and neutralization. The limitations associated with field survey and crosssectional research design are inevitable. The study offers some relevant practical implications for government, marketing professionals and academia. The study is among the pioneer studies that theoretically links and empirically examines Issue Contingent Model, theory of neutralization and self-consciousness. The study develops and tested an Urdu language version of the questionnaire for retail consumers. The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of moral intensity on self-conscious emotions and neutralization techniques in the context of ethical decision making among consumers. A sample of 388 shopping mall retail consumers was recruited through self-administered survey technique. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, correlation was carried out in SPSS whereas the measurement model and structural relationships were estimated using AMOS. Results indicate that moral intensity positively influences consumer's self-consciousness, neutralization techniques and behavioural intention. Self-consciousness negatively influence consumer's defence mechanism i.e. neutralization techniques. Neither self-consciousness nor neutralization techniques is found to have an impact on consumers' behavioural intention. Only self-consciousness is found to complementary mediate the relationship of moral intensity and neutralization. The limitations associated with field survey and cross-sectional research design are inevitable. The study offers some relevant practical implications for government, marketing professionals and academia. The study is among the pioneer studies that theoretically links and empirically examines Issue Contingent Model, theory of neutralization and self-consciousness. The study develops and tested an Urdu language version of the questionnaire for retail consumers.

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“…In fact, while dozens of articles have been written on business ethical issues at the domestic level (see, for example, reviews by Vitell (2003), O'Fallon and Butterfield (2005), Nill and Schibrowsky (2007), and Schlegelmilch and Öberseder (2010)), only a handful of studies stress the international dimensions of business ethics (Enderle, 1997). To some extent, this has been ascribed to the fact that the business ethics discipline and the international business discipline rarely 'speak' to each other, and when they do, they 'speak different languages' (Doh et al, 2010).…”

Section: International Business Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Value differences as determinants of importers’ perceptions of exporters’ unethical behavior: The impact on relationship quality and performance

Leonidou

Coudounaris

et al. 2013

International Business Review

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1 Highlights Our study focuses on the value drivers of the unethical marketing behavior of exporters  We use a survey to collect data  Similarities in national, corporate, and personal values are negatively related to unethical marketing practices  Network ties seem to play a moderating role  Perceived export marketing unethicality negatively influences exporter-importer relationship quality and performance 2 Value differences as determinants of importers' perceptions of exporters' unethical behavior: The impact on relationship quality and performance AbstractThe article focuses on the value drivers of the unethical marketing behavior of exporters, as seen from the perspective of their importers, and how this in turn affects the quality of their working relationship and performance. Based on a sample of 189 Cypriot importers, the study revealed that similarities in national, corporate, and personal values between importers and their foreign suppliers are negatively related to unethical marketing practices of the latter as perceived by the former, and vice versa. Perceived export marketing unethicality, in turn, negatively influences the exporter-importer relationship quality (as expressed in terms of cooperation, communication, trust, and commitment), which subsequently has harmful effects on the performance of the relationship. In addition, the existence of a high similarity in both value strength and ethical codes between importers and their export suppliers was found to positively affect the quality of the working relationship. Finally, the association of both corporate and personal value similarity with perceived export marketing unethicality was found to be moderated by network ties, although this was not evident in the case of national value similarity. The findings of the study have important implications for import managers in terms of properly selecting and handling relationships with their foreign suppliers.

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Half a Century of Marketing Ethics: Shifting Perspectives and Emerging Trends

Abstract: impact factor, literature review, marketing ethics, top journals, top researchers,

Cited by 144 publications

References 111 publications

Cultural drivers and trust outcomes of consumer perceptions of organizational unethical marketing behavior

Cultural drivers and trust outcomes of consumer perceptions of organizational unethical marketing behavior

Consumer Ethical Decision Making: Linking Moral Intensity, Self-Consciousness and Neutralization Techniques

Value differences as determinants of importers’ perceptions of exporters’ unethical behavior: The impact on relationship quality and performance

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