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Abstract
Purpose - This paper is a general review contextualising the current debate on ethics and international marketing. The aim of the paper is to present an overview of historical and current trends as a background for this special issue edition of International Marketing Review focusing on international marketing ethics.
Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines how ethics in international marketing have evolved and progressed towards the current "ethics era" and presents discussion surrounding the role and value of an ethical approach towards marketing in a global marketplace.
Findings - Essentially the paper argues that marketers should creatively embrace the complex challenges of the international marketplace by rethinking their approach to marketing ethics.
Originality/value - Gives an overview of the special issue.
Keywords Marketing, Ethics, International marketing, Customer satisfaction Paper type General review
Contextualising ethical issues in marketing
Marketing ethics has developed in the context of business ethics that reflects the interests of various stakeholders in the exchange process. Baumhart (1961) and Tzalikis and Fritzsche (1989) suggest that the moral issues in marketing are particularly important as marketing is expected to identify, anticipate and satisfy customer requirements profitably, thus creating and sustaining the interface between consumer preferences and companies' market aspirations. Some of the problems in achieving a general consensus on etiiics in marketing stem from the lack of uniform philosophical arguments of what is "good" and "ethical" and whether "good" and "ethical" have identical meaning.
Kant's (1788) views on ethics are utilitarian and deontological based on reason, intention and duty. According to him duties cannot be associated with self-interest expressed in expected pay-offs or rewards. Thus companies should exist to satisfy the needs of the society and firms have a duty, a moral obligation to deliver benefits to the society. Such an argument places organisational gains as a function of the social wealth and development they create and the consumer satisfaction they deliver. Consequently the social cause is paramount in a company's conduct. Taking Kant's ethical concept as a reference point it can be argued that it pays off for companies to appear ethical; their expectations of increased sales, market share and profitability to appear as motivated by objectives other than self-interest (Yeo, 1988). Such an approach can bring higher pay-offs for a firm...