International Marketing Ethics
Abstract Businesses face various ethical challenges when conducting business. These ethical challenges are also present when conducting business aboard. Companies must be aware of ethical standards and acceptable behavior. This awareness means that marketers must recognize the viewpoints of three key players: the company, the industry, and society. Since these three groups almost always have different needs and wants, ethical conflicts are likely to arise. These challenges will be in every countries and industry.
Introduction
Given the complexity of the world in which we live, maintaining ethics in the business world is challenging in many ways. Ethics is not a tangible thing that can be measured to ensure that it is followed and to what degree it is not followed. Unlike laws, which are clearly defined and have offenses that can be punished, ethics is a standard of norms and values that are is developed by society that guides an individual's or organization's behaviors and acts as a compass for what is deemed right or wrong (Duncan, 2004). Ethics plays an important role in the relationship between a company and the public. When a company behaves ethically then customers develop more positive attitudes about the company, its products, and services. Conversely, not employing ethical marketing practices may lead to dissatisfied customers, bad publicity, a lack of trust, lost business, or even legal action. There are several ethical issues that marketers face.
Ethical Issues
Stereotyping
One of the major ethical issues that face marketers that is stereotyping. Stereotyping is creating an oversimplified image of a particular group of people, usually by assuming that all members of the group are alike (DHRC, n.d.). Marketers often try to develop messages that create an impact with targeted audiences. In an effort to define that specific message, marketers must make sure