A634.5.4.RB – Is Marketing Evil

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Is Marketing Evil?
In our past studies, we have touched on the relationship between relativism and ethics.  To review, relativism is a belief that right and wrong, the methodology of justification, and standards of reasoning are the results of differing principles that their authority is confined to the context giving rise to them (Baghramian and Carter, 2015).  Ethics, on the other hand, are the standards of right and wrong that are defined as what humans are obliged to do when it comes to the obligations, rights, and benefits to fairness and/or specific virtues (Velasquez et al., n.d.). 
Therefore, in its operational definition, ethical relativism exists when two individuals or two differing cultures or beliefs have conflicting positions about the morality or ethical standard of a specific action or behavior, of which both parties, beliefs, or cultures are equally right.  Suffice to say that ethical relativism plays a vital role in every personal or business dealing we take most importantly in our organizational marketing initiatives.  It is imperative that ethical marketing guidelines be put in place in every organization to create and promote kind of ethical organization that they aspire.
Establishing ethical guidelines can undoubtedly make a difference not only to marketers when performing their tasks but to the organization’s stakeholders as well.  Organizations can accomplish in implementing ethical guidelines for their team successfully and ethically market their organizational brand and products by first educating every employee on marketing ethics.  According to Ferrell (n.d.), marketing ethics is where the principles and standards that define the conduct and behavior that is acceptable in the marketplace are being addressed. 
The absence of ethical guidelines within the organization may cause employees to be faced with a slippery slope of marketing argument.  Valuing the high sale productivity in marketing the company’s products may pressure employees the temptation to conduct unethical activities to meet their performance objectives.  When company’s offer high incentive of achieving sales goals without a substantial focus on ethical behavior would only result in the moral demise of the employees.
According to LaFollette(2007), people or employees who have to walk on a slippery slope, i.e., marketers, might not be aware that the slope is slippery.  To others, the slippery slope might be to their greatest fear while to others, although they are aware that the slopes are slippery and yet finding themselves making the decision that navigating those slippery slopes is worth taking.  As Ferrell (n.d.) wrote, people do make poor choices or decisions all the time, and it is the organization’s responsibility to sufficiently and appropriately plan on how to mitigate potential adverse outcomes from those poor choices.
Companies need to establish a core planning program to balance the employees need to win while maintaining the high ethical standard.  Organizational leaders need to effectively communicate to their employees the importance of upholding corporate values, standards, and their expectations.  Marketing strategy cannot be effectively implemented without the employees complete understanding of its purpose and cooperation (Ferrell, n.d.).
Conclusion
            Ferrell (n.d.) reiterated that we are all ethically responsible for the choices and actions we take.  As a consumer, I am morally accountable for tracking my buying habits most especially the transactions I make through the worldwide websites.  My personal or private information may be shared with another third-party vendor for marketing purposes.  It is my sole responsibility that all of my spending habits are ethically responsible.
            As a leader, I have to make sure that I don’t make mistakes in overlooking my employees’ behaviors and actions that are unethical regardless if the results of those immoral choices bring good revenue to the company and blindly undermining the credibility and reputation of my company.  I have to consistently and conscientiously explore our employees’actions and behaviors that actuate excellent results or outcomes.  In addition to, encouraging our leadership team to reward high quality and ethical decisions of our employees’ and not only focus on the results of those choices and decisions.
References
Ferrell, L. (n.d.). Marketing Ethics.
LaFollette, H. (2007). The Practice of Ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Baghramian, M., & Carter, J.A. (2015, Sept. 15). Relativism. Stanford Encyclopedia of
            Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/.

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