Commentary on an empirical investigation of a general theory of marketing ethics

Article Abstract:

The article 'An Empirical Investigation of a General Theory of Marketing Ethics' by Mayo and Marks constitutes a major effort at testing the theory of marketing ethics developed by Scott Vitell and me (1986). Mayo and Marks (hereafter, 'M&M) deduce several key research hypotheses from the theory, test those hypotheses using a marketing research scenario, and conclude: 'The core relationships in Hunt and Vitell's model appear to capture much of the decision-making processes that marketing managers employ in resolving an ethical dilemma.' Although no single empirical study ever provides a definitive test of a theory, their encouraging findings will likely prompt further empirical studies. The objective of this commentary is not to criticize the design of M&M's research, for there is not such thing as a perfect research design. All efforts to test empirically a theory will necessarily involve significant amounts of interpretive creativity and there are always trade-offs to be made. Rather, the objective here is to (1) review certain exemplary aspects of the M&M research design, (2) suggest some alternative interpretations and procedures for future researchers in this area to consider, and (3) show how some of the issues in their article relate to more fundamental philosophy of science concerns. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Marketing, Mayo, Michael A., Marks, Lawrence J.

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Is conventional debriefing adequate? An ethical issue in consumer research

Article Abstract:

Issues relating to ethics are infrequently addressed in the marketing literature. One area in which there might be ethical concerns is debriefing. In an experiment, when false information is provided by the researcher to subjects, those false beliefs can persist despite conventional debriefing. The persistence of false beliefs has ethical implications, of which consumer researchers should be aware. An explicit debriefing involving a formal discussion of the belief perseverance phenomenon is proposed as an alternative to conventional approaches. This is tested in three separate studies, including a partial replication of Ross, Lepper, and Hubbard (1975) as well as two extensions to marketing situations. Implications for corrective advertising are also discussed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Corrective advertising

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The incidence of unethical practices in marketing research: an empirical investigation

Article Abstract:

The authors examine from the perspective of marketing professionals the incidence of unethical research practices and the influence of organizational factors as determinants of the incidence of unethical research practices. The results indicate some degree of incidence of unethical research practices, particularly of those involving respondents. In addition, the results suggest four organizational variables - extent of ethical problems within the organization, top management actions on ethics, organizational role, and industry category - as determinants of the incidence of unethical research practices. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

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