Skip to main content
Log in

Does Marketing Ethics Really Have Anything to Say? – A Critical Inventory of the Literature

Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The material to follow challenges the conceptual uniqueness and contribution of the content of the field of marketing ethics. Based on a comprehensive inspection of the marketing ethics literature, this "review note" (an uncommon genre of academic manuscript – a briefly-presented review highlighting a specific point) concludes that, in terms of pragmatic behavioral guidance as well as conceptual content, marketing ethics has nothing new nor distinctive to offer. Though an initially unexpected conclusion, perhaps, explanation is provided for why marketing ethics' absence of contribution is perfectly natural and appropriate. Evidence also is found to establish that the paper's contrarian-appearing position may not be extremist after all.

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abratt, R. and D. Sacks: 1988, 'The Marketing Challenge: Towards Being Profitable and Socially Responsible', Journal of Business Ethics 7, 497–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alderson, W.: 1965, Dynamic Marketing Behavior (Richard D. Irwin, Inc., Homewood, IL).

    Google Scholar 

  • American Marketing Association: 1985, Code of Ethics, rev. ed. (American Marketing Association, Chicago).

    Google Scholar 

  • Armtrong, J. S. and T. S. Overton: 1977, 'Estimating Nonresponse Bias in Mail Survyes', Journal of Marketing Research 14, 396–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. P.: 1979, 'Toward a Formal Theory of Marketing Exchanges', in O. C. Ferrell, S. Brown and C. Lamb (eds.), Conceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing (American Marketing Association, Chicago), pp. 431–447.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, R.: 1967, 'A Model for Ethics in Marketing', Journal of Marketing 31, 20–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baylis, C. A.: 1958, Ethics (Henry Holt and Company, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellizzi, J. A. and R. E. Hite: 1989, 'Supervising Unethical Salesforce Behavior', Journal of Marketing 53, 36–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackstone, Sir W.: 1892, Commentaries on the Laws of England (L. K. Strouse & Co, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Boedecker, K. A. and F. W. Morgan: 1986, 'Intra-Industry Joint Liability: Implications for Marketing', Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 8, 161–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourke, V. J.: 1951, Ethics (Macmillan, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardozo, R. N.: 1965, 'An Experimental Study of Customer Effort, Expectation, and Satisfaction', Journal of Marketing Research 2, 224–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlyle, T.: 1855, Past and Present (Harper & Brothers, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, T. L., R. E. Wokutch and J. E. Cox: 1985, 'An Ethical Analysis of Deception in Advertising', Journal of Business Ethics 4, 93–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Churchill, G. A., Jr.: 1987, Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations, 4th edition (Dryden Press, Chicago).

    Google Scholar 

  • Churchill, G. A., Jr. and J. P. Peter: 1984, 'Research Design Effects on the Reliability of Rating Scales: A Meta-Analysis', Journal of Marketing Research 21, 360–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clasen, E. A.: 1967, 'Marketing Ethics and the Consumer', Harvard Business Review 45, 79–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colihan, W. J., Jr.: 1967, 'Ethics in Today' Marketing', in R. Moyer (ed.), Changing Marketing Systems (American Marketing Association, Chicago), pp. 164–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corey, R. J. and P. F. Bone: 1990, 'Ethical Packaging: Directions for the 1990s', in A. Parasuraman, W. Bearden et al. (eds.), AMA Educators' Proceedings: Enhancing Knowledge Development in Marketing (American Marketing Association, Chicago), p. 387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crisp, R.: 1987, 'Persuasive Advertising, Autonomy, and the Creation of Desire', Journal of Business Ethics 6, 413–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crosby, P. B.: 1979, Quality Is Free: The Art of Making Quality Certain (New American Library, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Andrade, K.: 1985, 'Bribery', Journal of Business Ethics 4, 239–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donaldson, T.: 1989, 'Moral Minimums for Multinationals', Ethics & International Affairs 3, 163–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, R. N.: 1967, 'Would You Want Your Daughter to Marry a Marketing Man?', Journal of Marketing 31, 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, O. C.: 1985, 'Implementing and Monitoring Ethics in Advertising', in G. R. Laczniak and P. E. Murphy (eds.), Marketing Ethics: Guidelines for Managers (Lexington Books, Lexington, MA), pp. 27–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, O. C. and L. G. Gresham: 1985, 'A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing', Journal of Marketing 49, 87–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, O. C. and K. M. Weaver: 1978, 'Ethical Beliefs of Marketing Managers', Journal of Marketing 42, 69–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, G. T. and J. E. Calfee: 1986, 'Recent Developments in FTC Policy on Deception', Journal of Marketing 50, 82–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foxman, E. R. and P. Kilcoyne: 1993, 'Information Technology, Marketing Practice, and Consumer Privacy: Ethical Issues', Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 12, 106–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fritzsche, D. J.: 1985, 'Ethical Issues in Multinational Marketing', in G. R. Laczniak and P. E. Murphy (eds.), Marketing Ethics: Guidelines for Managers (Lexington Books, Lexington, MA), pp. 85–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gundlach, G. T. and P. E. Murphy: 1993, 'Ethical and Legal Foundations of Relational Marketing Exchanges', Journal of Marketing 57, 35–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, D. I. and A. B. Cocanougher: 1972, 'Student Evaluations of the Ethics of Marketing Practices: The Role of Marketing Education', Journal of Marketing 36, 61–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hite, R. E., J. A. Bellizzi, and C. Fraser: 1988, 'A Content Analysis of Ethical Policy Statements Regarding Marketing Activities', Journal of Business Ethics 7, 771–776.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, N. E.: 1992, 'A New Crisis in Business Ethics?', Management Accounting 74, 16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D.: 1991, Modern Marketing Theory (South-Western, Cincinnati, OH).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D. and L. B. Chonko: 1984, 'Marketing and Machiavellianism', Journal of Marketing, 48, 30–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D. and J. R. Nevin: 1974, 'Power in a Channel of Distribution: Sources and Consequences', Journal of Marketing Research 11, 186–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, S. D. and S. J. Vitell: 1986, 'A General Theory of Marketing Ethics', Journal of Macromarketing 6, 5–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kant, I.: 1964, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Translated by H. J. Patton (Harper and Row, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kehoe, W. J.: 1985, 'Ethics, Price Fixing, and the Management of Price Strategy', in G. R. Laczniak and P. E. Murphy (eds.), Marketing Ethics: Guidelines for Managers (Lexington Books, Lexington, MA), pp. 71–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, B. and K. B. Leffler: 1981, 'The Role of Market Forces in Assuring Contractual Performance', Journal of Political Economy 89, 615–641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laczniak, G. R.: 1983, 'Frameworks for Analyzing Marketing Ethics', Journal of Macromarketing 3, 7–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laczniak, G. R. and P. E. Murphy (eds.): 1985, Marketing Ethics: Guidelines for Managers (Lexington Books, Lexington, MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Laczniak, G. R. and P. E. Murphy (eds.): 1993, Ethical Marketing Decisions: The Higher Road (Allyn & Bacon, Boston).

    Google Scholar 

  • Laczniak, G. R., R. F. Lusch and P. E. Murphy: 1979, 'Social Marketing: Its Ethical Dimension', Journal of Marketing 43, 29–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lantos, G. P.: 1986, 'An Ethical Base for Marketing Decision Making', Journal of Consumer Marketing 3, 5–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leftwich, R. H.: 1970, The Price System and Resource Allocation, 4th edition (Dryden Press, Hinsdale, IL).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusch, R. F.: 1976, 'Sources of Power: Their Impact on Intrachannel Conflict', Journal of Marketing Research 13, 382–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mascarenhas, O. A. J.: 1995, 'Exonerating Unethical Marketing Executive Behaviors: A Diagnostic Framework', Journal of Marketing 59, 43–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morden, M. J.: 1989, 'The Salesperson: Clerk, Con Man, or Professional?', Business & Professional Ethics Journal 8, 3–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P. E.: 1988, 'Implementing Business Ethics', Journal of Business Ethics 7, 907–915.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P. E. and G. R. Laczniak: 1981, 'Marketing Ethics: A Review with Implications for Managers, Educators, and Researchers', in B. M. Enis and K. J. Roering (eds.), Review of Marketing 1981 (American Marketing Association, Chicago), pp. 251–266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P. E., G. R. Laczniak and R. F. Lusch: 1978, 'Ethical Guidelines for Business and Social Marketing', Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 6, 197–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, P. E. and M. D. Pridgen: 1991, 'Ethical and Legal Issues in Marketing', in P. N. Bloom (ed.), Advances in Marketing and Public Policy, Vol. 2 (JAI Press, Inc., Greenwich, CT), pp. 185–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruden, H. O.: 1971, 'Which Ethics for Marketers?', in J. R. Wish and S. H. Gamble (eds.), Marketing and Social Issues (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York), pp. 98–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, T. V.: 1977, 'Institutionalizing Ethics into Top Management Decisions', Public Relations Quarterly 22, 15–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robin, D. P. and R. E. Reidenbach: 1986, 'A Framework for Analyzing Ethical Issues in Marketing', Business & Professional Ethics Journal 5(2), 3–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robin, D. P. and R. E. Reidenbach: 1987, 'Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Marketing Strategy: Closing the Gap Between Concept and Application', Journal of Marketing 51, 44–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robin, D. P. and R. E. Reidenbach: 1993, 'Searching for a Place to Stand: Towards a Workable Ethical Philosophy for Marketing', Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 12, 97–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P. A.: 1967, Economics, 7th edition (McGraw-Hill, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidgwick, H.: 1922, The Methods of Ethics, 7th edition (Macmillan, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, R. C. and Kristine Hanson: 1985, It' Good Business (Harper and Row, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Spinello, R. A.: 1992, 'Ethics Pricing and the Pharmaceutical Industry', Journal of Business Ethics 11, 617–626.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsalikis, J. and D. J. Fritzsche: 1989, 'Business Ethics: A Literature Review with a Focus on Marketing Ethics', Journal of Business Ethics 8, 695–743.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walton, C. C.: 1961, 'Ethical Theory, Social Expectations, and Marketing Practices', in W. D. Stevens (ed.), The Social Responsibilities of Marketing (American Marketing Association, Chicago), pp. 8–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, H. F. and M. B. Uehling: 1985, 'Toying with Kids' TV', Newsweek (May 13), 85.

  • Weber, R. P.: 1985, Basic Content Analysis (Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster' New World Dictionary 1965 (Southwestern, Nashville, TN).

  • Westing, J. H.: 1967, 'Some Thoughts on the Nature of Ethics in Marketing', in R. Moyer (ed), Changing Marketing Systems (American Marketing Association, Chicago), pp. 161–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zey-Ferrell, M., K. M. Weaver, and O. C. Ferrell: 1979, 'Predicting Unethical Behavior Among Marketing Practitioners', Human Relations 32, 557–569.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gaski, J.F. Does Marketing Ethics Really Have Anything to Say? – A Critical Inventory of the Literature. Journal of Business Ethics 18, 315–334 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017190829683

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017190829683

Navigation