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The Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility: A Study of Marketing Professionals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2015

Scott J. Vitell ,
Joseph G. P. Paolillo  and
James L. Thomas
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Abstract:

This study examined the effect of various antecedent variables on marketers’ perceptions of the role of ethics and social responsibility in the overall success of the firm. Variables examined included Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (i.e., power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, and Confucian dynamism), as well as corporate ethical values and enforcement of an ethics code. Additionally, individual variables such as ethical idealism and relativism were included. Results indicated that most of these variables impacted marketers’ perceptions of the importance of ethics and social responsibility, although to varying degrees.

Type
Articles
Information
Business Ethics Quarterly , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , January 2003 , pp. 63 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Business Ethics 2003

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