Ethics and Marketing

ABSTRACT

Business today is challenging, presenting the audiologist with many complex decisions. Careful thought and planning can assist professionals in developing practices built on sound business principals that incorporate strong ethical values. Ethics and marketing emerged in contemporary literature over 25 years ago; however, today we regard ethical considerations to go hand in hand with promoting a business. This discussion blends marketing strategies with ethical guidance to enhance the effectiveness of a professional practice. Finding the balance between the goal to succeed and the desire to maximize the well-being of consumers can be tricky. Nevertheless, if we operate with a solid ethical conscience, appropriate decisions will be made that are the ingredients for success.

KEYWORDS

Ethics - marketing - values - business principles - ethical conscience

REFERENCES

• 1 Solomon M R. Consumer Behavior Buying, Having, and Being. Upper Saddle River, NJ; Prentice Hall 2004
• 2 Hendrick B. Checking Our Ethical Balance. Atlanta Journal Constitution December 5, 2005 E1, E4
• 3 American Marketing Association Web site .Code of ethics. http://Available at: http://www.marketingpower.com Accessed December 6, 2005
• 4 Hosford-Dunn H, Dunn D R, Harford E. Marketing. San Diego, CA; Singular 1995
• 5 Kilbourne J. Killing Us Softly. 1979
• 6 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .HIPAA general information. Available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HIPAAGenInfo Accessed February 21, 2006
• 7 American Academy of Audiology . Ethical practice board advisory statement on use of the term “doctor” in advertising.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(2) Available at: http://www.audiology.org/professional/ethics/adv-doctor.php Accessed December 6, 2005; 
• 8 Austin American Statesman .How ethical are you? Quick quizzes to gauge your ethics IQ. December 23, 2005 Available at: http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/12/23ETHICSQUIZ_ls.html Accessed February 27, 2006

ADDITIONAL READING MATERIAL

• 9 American Academy of Audiology . Advisory: buying groups, trips, cash rebates and conflicts of interest.  Audiology Today. 2004;  16(1) 9
• 10 American Academy of Audiology . Marketing support and cost of instruments guidelines.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(1) 46
• 11 American Academy of Audiology . Buying groups, rewards, and conflict of interest.  Audiology Today. 2004;  16(3) 48-49
• 12 American Academy of Audiology . To party or not to party? That is the question.  Audiology Today. 2004;  16(2) 43
• 13 American Academy of Audiology . Ethics or professionalism?.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(2) 44-45
• 14 American Academy of Audiology .Code of ethics. Available at: http://www.audiology.org/about/code.php Accessed November 3, 2005
• 15 American Academy of Audiology . Ethical practice guidelines on financial incentives from hearing instrument manufacturers.  Audiology Today.. 2003;  15(3) 19-21
• 16 American Academy of Audiology . Viewpoint-continuing education: what were they thinking?.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(6) 25
• 17 American Academy of Audiology . Ethical practice board advisory statement on the term “Au.D. candidate”.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(2) 45
• 18 Bartels R. A model for ethics in marketing.  J Mark. 1967;  31(1) 20-26
• 19 Bush V D, Ferrell L, Bush A J. Investigating the relationship between corporate values and practices of marketing organizations and internet ethics: an exploratory study.  Marketing Management Journal. 2003; 
• 20 Hahn R, Abel D, Kukula J. Audiologists beware!and be aware of conflicts of interest.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(4) 34-35
• 21 Hosford-Dunn H, Roeser R J, Valente M. Audiology Practice Management. New York; Theime 2000
• 22 Jones T M. Ethical decision making by individuals in organizations: an issue-contingent model.  Acad Manage Rev. 1991;  16(2) 366-395
• 23 Kavali S G, Tzokas N X, Saren M J. Relationship marketing as an ethical approach: philosophical and managerial considerations.  Manage Decis. 1999;  37(7) 57-58
• 24 Larkin M, Walden T, Hahn N R. Real life legal complications and conflicts of interest.  Audiology Today. 2005;  17(5) 35
• 25 Singhapakdi A, Rawwas M A, Marta J K, Ahmed M I. A cross-cultural study of consumer perceptions about marketing ethics.  J Consum Mark. 1999;  16(3) 25-27
• 26 U.S. Department of State .Language & Civility: Business Ethics. English Teaching Forum Online. English Language Programs. Available at: http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/journal/business.html Accessed December 6, 2005

APPENDIX A How Ethical Are You?⁸

Rank each of the following statements with the answer that best describes you:

1 = Never; 2 = Seldom; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often; 5 = Always

____ I treat the people I work with as equals. I know each person has different strengths so each person contributes to the organization differently.

____ I can be counted on to keep my promises. My colleagues depend on me for the follow-up necessary to complete the job.

____ If I saw something that appeared improper or illegal in conjunction with the marketing campaign within our organization, I would immediately discuss it, even if it was a delicate situation.

____ If someone asked me to tell a “white lie” to protect his/her job, I would refuse to do it.

____ People are drawn to me and they confide in me; they know I will not gossip and will keep their confidence.

____ When things go wrong, I refrain from assigning blame, even when evidence and public opinion seem to point to a culprit.

____ I have no problem letting others see my imperfections. When I make a bad decision or behave badly, I admit it.

____ In relationships and situations that need improvement, I assume responsibility for what's not working.

____ I embrace change that may be more beneficial to others in the organization than it will be for me personally.

____ I try to see everything I do in terms of the larger picture, the greater good.

____ When I see a problem, I don't just sit back and ask, “Why don't they fix this?” I ask, “What can I do?”

____ I see myself as a leader of high ethical standards, and people in my organization would characterize me this way too.

Scoring: Add all the numbers

0-25: You are “phoning it in,” for the most part. Your answers demonstrate that you are mostly working for a paycheck and do not concern yourself with higher values at this point in your life.

26-40: You have ethical qualities that others admire and that could take you far. But why stop here? Focus and elevate yourself to a new level of personal growth that could yield professional breakthroughs.

41-60: You are a highly ethical individual whom others look up to. You are the type of person, in fact, who can inspire others. If you are not already in a leadership position, you could be.

Source: Adapted from Austin American Statesman. How ethical are you? Quick quizzes to gauge your ethics IQ (Quizzes developed by the Turknett Leadership Group). December 23, 2005. Available at: http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/12/23ETHICSQUIZ_ls.html. Accessed February 27, 2006. Adapted with permission from the Turknett Leadership Group.