Marketing ethics is the study of right and wrong with respect to marketing policies, practices, and systems.  Marketing ethics comprises principles and standards that guide appropriate conduct in organizations.

From its origins in the early 1970s Macromarketing Seminars, the Journal of Macromarketing has welcomed papers which consider thoughtfully the impact of marketing activities and their organization on the disadvantaged, particularly in the less economically developed parts of the world. Before the emergence of the business ethics discipline, the journal was a primary source of theory and empirical work in this field. Ferrell and Gresham (1985) and Hunt and Vitell (1986) remain the foundation references for marketing ethics scholars.

The establishment of a special section devoted to this topic represents an effort both to reclaim this position within the marketing discipline and to provide an outlet for first rank scholarship in an important area of applied ethics which, in recent years, has become scattered among journals with a primary focus on other aspects of business, marketing, or ethics.

In considering this initiative, the relationship among marketing ethics and other JMM sections should be noted.  The ethical dimensions of economic and market development were identified previously in terms of the impact on the poor, a well-known measure of economic justice. In transitional economies, where institutional
arrangements taken for granted in advanced societies are still quite immature, the importance of ethics in marketing practices is a major consideration in whether markets achieve their promise relative to previous
arrangements. As a cultural phenomenon influencing and influenced by marketing customs and practices, ethics is an important factor in explaining both conduct and performance in markets. Quality of life is
significantly affected by the degree of order and harmony present in a society. Marketing history can be viewed as a study of changing ethical norms. Much scholarly effort has been devoted to comparing these norms
across differing cultures. The interests of many macromarketers in the natural environment are clearly identifiable as ethical concerns.

Much progress has been made in public policy initiatives to encourage ethical compliance in organizations.  The Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations provide a blueprint that many companies are using for ethic programs. These public policy efforts need to be explored to determine effectiveness and impact on
marketing activities.

Taking account of the most recent developments in marketing thought, we should also note the ethical nature of interests in consumer privacy, particularly as related to Internet marketing and other developments in information technology, and in whether and how products of dubious social merit - tobacco, alcohol, and pornography - are marketed.

Ethics can be analyzed in several different frames of reference. First, the level of moral agency may vary. We are most accustomed to thinking about ethics in interpersonal terms, for example, disclosure obligations of
sales representatives to clients or customers. Many ethical issues are organizational in nature, for example, the policies of corporations or government agencies that directly or indirectly may influence actions or their consequences. In a subdiscipline with a broader attention to systems, macromarketing should also recognize the ethical content of varying market structures, customs, and institutions. In this realm, we should be especially cognizant of the presence or absence of checks and balances and how the pressures of competition and the
search for market advantage may have significant ethical implications.

Second, we can study marketing ethics as an aspect of buyer and seller behavior, that is, empirically, or from a more normative or prophetic perspective, how things ought to be.

Third, given the extent of specialization in the marketing discipline, we should be responsive to the varying interests of marketing scholars in such areas as e-commerce, product development, marketing communications, pricing and distribution.

Finally, taking a systems perspective, we should encourage comparative studies that attend to the similarities and differences across political systems, cultures, and industries.

The Journal of Macromarketing should welcome the submission of thoughtful theoretical works as well as empirical studies. In particular, we should encourage the publication of work that attends to interests in areas already established within the macromarketing discipline, that is, development, environment, competition,
quality of life, or history.

Over the years, many have noted the fact that macromarketing has a prominent normative, even moral agenda.  Clearly, many of our most prominent macromarketing scholars have brought their particular moral vision to their research and writing. This is a distinguishing characteristic of our field. The marketing ethics section should, in time, become the vehicle for ensuring that character is a lasting one.

Please check http://e-businessethics.com for information on organizational ethics research and resources. A link on this site is being provided for the Ethics and Values section of the Journal of Macromarketing. 

References

Ferrell, O.C. and Larry G. Gresham. 1995. A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing, Journal of Marketing 49 (Summer): 87-96.

Junt, Shelby D. Hunt and Scott Vitell. 1986. A general theory of marketing ethics. Journal of Macromarketing, 6 (Spring): 5-16.

O. C. Ferrell, Section Editor