Perceived importance of ethics and ethical decisions in marketing

This study investigates the influences of perceptions regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility on ethical intentions of marketing professionals. It also investigates the effects of perceived ethical problems and gender on ethical intentions. The results, based on a survey of practitioner members of the American Marketing Association, revealed that a marketing professional's perception regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility seems to influence his or her ethical intention in a positive way. The survey results also indicate a positive relationship between ethical perception and ethical intention. The results reveal some gender differences in ethical intentions of marketing professionals. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.