ETHICAL ISSUES IN MARKETING: AN APPLICATION FOR UNDERSTANDING ETHICAL DECISION MAKING

Year 2014, , 275 - 298, 16.03.2015

Nurettin Parıltı , Banu Külter Demirgüneş , Bülent Özsaçmacı

https://doi.org/10.14780/iibd.22226

Cited By: 1

Abstract

In recent years business ethics and social responsibility have gained great importance in marketing practices, especially in societal marketing practices. Businesses infinitely struggle to indicate their contributions to society. Consumers consciously evaluate this contribution. Manipulated consumer choices and unethical marketing applications can affect purchasing behavior. Particularly intense competition, globalization and societal consciousness transform businesses into social organizations and lead them into marketing efforts offering social value. Although business ethics and social responsibility of businesses have gained more attention in recent years, defining consumers’ perceptions on ethical issues is still minimal. This study presents an empirical research of consumer perceptions on ethical issues. Reflection of this perception on purchasing behavior is also another important issue to be considered. The aim of this study is to investigate the factors related with ethical issues in marketing practices and to reveal possible influences of these factors on consumers’ ethical decision making. The main objective of the study is to find out consumers’ perceptions on businesses’ ethical issues such as misleading advertising, deceptive packaging and to reveal the impact of these issues on their ethical purchasing behavior or ethical decision making. It also reveals which criteria is more important for ethical decision making. This study reveals that consumers reflect their ethical perceptions on their purchasing behavior. Each ethical issue has been found to be a positive effect on purchasing behavior. Businesses’ practices on packaging has been indicated as the most effective ethical issue on purchasing behavior. The study is considered to be a significant outcome for businesses to direct their advertising, packaging and other activities

Keywords

Marketing Ethic, Social Responsibility, Purchasing Behavior

PAZARLAMADA ETİK KONULAR: ETİK KARAR ALMA ÜZERİNE BİR UYGULAMA

Abstract

Son yıllarda işletme etiği ve sosyal sorumluluk kavramları pazarlama alanında
özellikle de sosyal pazarlama faaliyetlerinde büyük önem kazanmıştır. İşletmeler,
topluma yönelik çabalarını göstermek için büyük bir uğraş vermektedirler. Tüketiciler
ise söz konusu çabaları ve katkıları bilinçli olarak değerlendirmektedirler. Manipüle
edilmiş tüketici tercihleri ve etik olmayan pazarlama uygulamaları, tüketicilerin satın
alma davranışını etkileyebilmektedir. Özellikle yoğun rekabet, küreselleşme ve sosyal
bilinçlenme, işletmeleri birer sosyal örgüt konumuna dönüştürmekte ve sosyal değer
sunan pazarlama çabalarına öncülük etmektedir. Son yılarda işletmelerin etik ve sosyal
sorumlulukları önem kazanmasına rağmen, tüketicilerin etik konular ile ilgili algılarını
tanımlamak konusunda eksiklikler söz konusudur. Bu çalışma, tüketicilerin
etik konular ile ilgili algılarını deneysel bir şekilde sunmaktadır. Söz konusu algının,
satın alma davranışına yansıması ise düşünülmesi gereken bir diğer önemli unsurdur.
Bu çalışmanın amacı, işletmenin pazarlama faaliyetlerinde, etik konusu ile
ilgili olabilecek faktörleri belirterek, söz konusu faktörlerin tüketicilerin etik karar
verme sürecindeki olası etkilerini ortaya koymaktır. Tüketicilerin aldatıcı (yanıltıcı)
reklam, aldatıcı paketleme, gibi konularda algılarını öğrenmek ve bu meselelerin onların
satın alma davranışlarında ya da etik karar verme süreçlerinde etkisini tespit
etmek amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışma aynı zamanda hangi unsurun etik karar vermede
daha önemli olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.
Çalışmanın sonucunda tüketicilerin etik konulara yönelik algılarını, satın
alma davranışlarına yansıttıkları ortaya çıkmaktadır. Her bir etik meselenin satın
alma davranışı üzerinde pozitif bir etkisi söz konusudur. İşletmelerin paketleme faaliyetleri
konusundaki uygulamaları satın alma davranışı üzerinde en etkili unsur olmaktadır.
Çalışmanın işletmelere reklam, paketleme, çevreyi ve tüketiciyi önemseme
gibi konularda yol gösterebileceği düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Pazarlama Etiği, Sosyal Sorumluluk, Satın Alma Davranışı

References

• AAKER, D.A. and Keller, K.L., “Consumer Evaluations of Brand Extensions”, Journal of Marketing, 54(1), 1990, pp. 27-41.
• AHMAD, M., Akhtar, N., Awan, M. H. A. and Murtaza, G., “Ethical Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Marketing in Pakistan”, Acta Bioethica, 17(2), 2011, pp. 215- 224.
• ALEXANDER, E.C., “Consumer Reactions to Unethical Service Recovery”, Journal of Business Ethics, 36, 2002, pp. 223-237.
• AL-MAZROOEI, N. and Chomo, G.V. and Omezzine, A., “Purchasing Behavior of Consumers for Seafood Products”, Agricultural and Marine Science, 8(1), 2003, pp. 1-10.
• ASSAEL, H., Consumer Behavior- A strategic Approach. Houghton Mifflin Company, Berkeley Street, Boston, 2004.
• AUGER, P. and Burke, P.F., Devinney, T.M. and Louviere, J.J., “What Will Consumers Pay for Social Product Features?” Journal of Business Ethics, 42(3), 2003, pp. 281-304.
• BOULSTRIDGE, E. and Carrigan, M., “Do Consumers Really Care About Corporate Responsibility? Highlighting the Attitude Behavior Gap”, Journal of Communication Management, 4, 2000, pp. 355-368.
• CHARLES F. P., “Supermarket and Chain-Store Food Prices”, The Journal of Business, 12, 1939, pp.323.
• CHARTER, M., Green Marketing: The introduction; marketing practices, Fagbokforlaget, Norway, 1992.
• CHONKO, L. B., Ethical Decision Making in Marketing, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1995.
• COOPER-MARTIN, E. and Holbrook, M. B., “Ethical Consumption Experiences and Ethical Space” Advances in Consumer Research, 20, 1993, pp. 113–118.
• DAVIES, I. A., Lee, Z. and Ahonkhai, I., “Do Consumers Care About Ethical Luxury?” Journal of Business Ethics, 106, 2012, pp. 37–51.
• DAVIS, M., Ethics and the University, New York: Routledge, 1999, pp. 166-167.
• DAY, D., Gan, B., Gendall, P. and Esslemant, D., “Predicting Purchase Behavior”, Marketing Bulletin, 2, 1991, pp.18-30.
• DRUMWRIGHT, M. E., Ethical Issues in Advertising and Sales Promotion, Boston: Irwin, 1993, pp. 607-625.
• DUBINSKY, A.J. and Loken, B., “Analyzing Ethical Decision Making in Marketing”, Journal of Business Research, 19(2), 1989, pp. 83- 107.
• ELLEN, P.S., Wiener, J.L. and Cobb- Walgren, C., “The Role of Perceived Consumer Effectiveness in Motivating Environmentally Conscious Behaviors”, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 10(2), 1991, pp.102-117.
• FERRELL, O. C., “Nature and Scope of Marketing Ethics”, W. Wilkie, G. T. Gundlach and L. Block (eds.), Explorations of Marketing in Society (Thomson-Southwestern, Ohio), 2007, pp. 858–875.
• FERRELL, O.C. and Ferrell, L., “Ethics and Marketing Education.” Marketing Education Review, 14 (3), 2005, pp.71-79.
• FERRELL, O.C. and Gresham, L.G., “A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing.” Journal of Marketing, 49: 3, 1985.
• FERRELL, O.C., “A Framework for Understanding Organizational Ethics: New Challenges for Business Schools and Corporate Leaders”. R.A. Peterson and O.C. Ferrell, (eds.) Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2005, pp. 3-17.
• FERRELL, O.C., Gresham, L. and Fraedrich, J., “A Synthesis of Ethical Decision Models for Marketing”. Journal of Micromarketing, Fall, 1989, pp. 55-64.
• FITZPATRICK, R. K. and Gauthier, C., “Toward a Professional Responsibility Theory of Public Relations Ethics”, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 16(2&3), 2001, pp. 193–212.
• FRAEDRICH, J., Ferrell, L .and Ferrell, O.C., Ethical Decision Making in Business-A Managerial Approach, Cengage Learning, Ninth Edition, South Western, 2013, pp. 102-107.
• HAIR, J.F., Anderson, R.E., Tatham, R.L. and Black, W.C., Multivariate Data Analysis, Prentice-Hall, Inc., International Fifth Edition, New Jersey, USA., 1998.
• HAIR, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B., Anderson, R.E. and Tatham, R.L., Multivariate Data Analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2006.
• HARRISON, R., Newholm, T., and Shaw, D., The Ethical Consumer, London: Sage Publications, 2005.
• HARTMAN, L. P. and Desjardins, J., Business Ethics: Decision-Making for Personal Integrity and Social Responsibility, McGraw-Hill Publications, New York, 2008, pp. 37-42.
• HUNT, S.D. and S.A. Vitell, “General Theory of Marketing Ethics” Journal of Macro Marketing, 6(1), 1986, pp. 5-16.
• IFTEKHAR, H., Ayub, A., Razzaq, A. and Aslam, M.S., “Detrimental Effects of Marketing Practices on Consumers’ Buying Behaviors”, Business Management Dynamics, 2(10), 2013, pp. 01-05.
• IMCO, “Internal Market and Consumer Protection: Misleading Packaging Practices”, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, European Parliament: Policy Department A: Scientific and Economic Policy, 2012.
• ISMAIL, H., and Panni, M. F. A. K., “Consumers Perceptions on the Consumerism Issues and Their Influence on Their Purchasing Behavior: A View from Malaysian Food Industry”, Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues, 11(1), 2008, pp. 43-64.
• KAYNAK, E., “Some Thoughts on Consumerism in Developed and Less Developed Countries”, International Marketing Review, 2, 1985, pp. 15-31.
• KOSLOW, S., “Can the Truth Hurt? How Honest and Persuasive Advertising Can Unintentionally Lead to Increased Consumer Skepticism”, Journal of Consumer Affairs, 34(2), 2000, pp. 14.
• KOTLER, P., Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control, 9th ed., Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1997.
• LABBAI, M. Mohamed, “Social Responsibility and Ethics in Marketing”, International Marketing Conference on Marketing & Society, 8-10 April, IIMK. 2007.
• LACZNIAK, G. R. and Murphy, P. E., Ethical Marketing Decisions: The Higher Road (Boston: Allyn and Bacon), 1993.
• MASON, T., “The Importance of Being Ethical”, Marketing, 2000, pp. 27.
• MAYO, M. A., and Marks, L. J., “An Empirical Investigation of a General Theory of Marketing Ethics”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 18, 1990, pp. 163–171.
• MCGOLDRICK, P. J. and Freestone, O. M., “Ethical Product Premiums: Antecedents and Extent of Consumers’ Willingness to Pay”, International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 18(2), 2008, pp. 185–201.
• MINGQUAN, Z., Green Food Market Promises Bright Future, Market Trend, Available http://www.tdctrade.com/report/mkt/mkt_031002.htm. (13 October 2003).
• MOISANDER, J., Representation of Green Consumerism: A Constructionist Critique, Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki, a: 185, 2001.
• MURPHY, P. E., Corporate ethics statements: An update, In Williams, O. F. (Ed). Global Codes of Conduct, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001, pp. 295-304.
• MURPHY, P. E., Laczniak, G. R., Bowie, N. E. and Klein, T. A., Ethical Marketing, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2005.
• MURRAY, K.B. and Vogel, C.M., “Using a Hierarchy-of-Effects Approach to Gauge the Effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility to Generate Goodwill toward the Firm: Financial Versus Nonfinancial Impacts” Journal of Business Research, 38(2), 1997, pp.141-159.
• ÖZBEK, V., Alnıaçık, Ü. and Koç, F., “The Impact of Unfair Business Practices on Bank Customers: An Experimental Study”, Ege Academic Review, 12 (1), 2012, pp. 23-30.
• QUAZI M. A., “Managerial Views of Consumerism: A Two Country Comparison”, European Journal of Marketing, 36, (1/2), 2002, pp. 36-50.
• REIDENBACH, R. and Robin, D., “Toward the Development of a Multidimensional Scale for Improving Evaluations of Business Ethics”, Journal of Business Ethics, 9(8), 1990, pp. 639-653.
• ROBIN, D. P., and Reidenbach, R. E., “Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Marketing Strategy: Closing the Gaps between Concept and Application”, Journal of Marketing, 51, 1987, pp.44–58.
• SHERLAKER, S.A., Marketing Management, (6th ed). Himalaya Publishing House, 1999.
• SHRUM, L.J., McCarty, J.A. and Lowrey, T.M., “Buyer Characteristics of the Green Consumer and Their Implications for Advertising Strategy”, Journal of Advertising, 24(2), 1995, pp.71-90.
• SINGHAPAKDI, A. and Vitell, S. J. “Marketing Ethics: Factors Influencing Perceptions of Ethical Problems and Alternatives.” Journal of Macro Marketing 10, 1990, pp. 4-18.
• SINGHAPAKDI, A., “Perceived Importance of Ethics and Ethical Decisions in Marketing”, Journal of Business Research, 45(1), 1999, pp. 89–99.
• SINGHAPAKDI, A., Vitell, S. J. and Kraft, K. L., “Moral Intensity and Ethical of Marketing Professionals Decision-Making”, Journal of Business Research 36, 1996, pp. 245-255
• SMITH, N. C., “Changes in Corporate Practices in Response to Public Interest Advocacy and Actions”. In Bloom, P.N., & Gundlach, G.T. (Eds). Handbook of Marketing and Society, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001, pp. 140-161.
• SMITH, N. C., Morality and the Market: Consumer Pressure for Corporate Accountability (London: Routledge), 1990.
• STEINER, G. A., “Social Policies for Business.” California Management Review, winter: 1972, pp. 17-24.
• THONG, J.Y.L. and Yap, C., “Testing an Ethical Decision-Making Theory: The Case of Softlifting”, Journal of Management Information Systems, 15(1), 1998, pp. 213-237.
• TSALIKIS, J. and Fritzsch, D., “Business Ethics: A Literature Review with a Focus on Marketing Ethics” Journal of Business Ethics, 8(2), 1989, pp. 695-743.
• TSENG, H., Duan, C., Tung, H. and Kung, H., “Modern Business Ethics Research: Concepts, Theories, and Relationships” Journal of Business Ethics, 91(4), 2009, pp.587-597.
• UUSITALO, O. and Oksanen, R., “Ethical consumerism - a view from Finland”, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 28(3), 2004, pp. 214.
• VITELL, S. J., Rallapalli, K. and Singhapakdi, A., “Marketing Norms: The Influences of Personal Moral Philosophies and Organizational Ethical Culture”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, (21), 1993, pp. 331–337.