A content analysis of ethical policy statements regarding marketing activities

Many large corporations now have written codes of ethics to guide the business/marketing activities of employees. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and types of topics which are covered in the ethics policy statements of large U.S. corporations. The results indicated that the topics covered most often (respectively) were: misuse of funds/improper accounting, conflicts of interest, political contributions, and confidential information. It is concluded that in addition to written ethics policy statements, top management should communicate ethical values and demonstrate by example. Robert E. Hite (Ph.D. University of Arkansas) is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kansas State University. His textbook is entitled Managing Salespeople, and his articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Industrial Marketing Management. Joseph A. Bellizzi (Ph.D. University of Nebraska) is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kansas State University. He was previously employed by Hilti Fastening systems as a Market Research analyst. His articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Advertising Research, and Journal of Retailing. Cynthia Fraser (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kansas State University. Her research interests are international marketing and marketing models. Her articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Consumer Research and Industrial Marketing Management.     

Personal and professional values underlying the ethical judgments of marketers

This study explores the relative influences of two levels of value orientations, personal values and professional values, underlying the ethical judgments of marketing practitioners. The data were obtained from a mail survey of the American Marketing Association's professional members. The results generally indicate that a marketer's ethical judgments can be partially explained by his/her personal and professional values.Anusorn Singhapakdi is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Old Dominion University. His papers focusing on various topics in marketing ethics and corporate/consumer social responsibility have been published in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, as well as other journals and proceedings.Scott J. Vitell is Associate Professor and holder of the Michael S. Starnes Lectureship in Marketing and Business Ethics at the University of Mississippi. His work has appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, andResearch in Marketing as well as various other journals and proceedings.     

Deceptive nature of Dial-a-Porn commercials and public policy alternatives

This research investigates consumers' perceptions of claims made in Dial-a-Porn commercials. The empirical findings support the view that some of the claims are deceptive. Based on research findings, preliminary public policy guidelines are suggested.Shaheen Borna is an Associate Professor, Department of Marketing, Ball State University. He received his DBA. His articles have appeared in theJournal of Business Ethics, Journal of Health Care Marketing, British Journal of Criminology, Journal of Accountancy, Akron Business and Economic Review, andProceedings of the American Marketing Associations.Joseph Chapman is an Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Ball State University. He received his Ph.D. His research interests are in the areas of personal selling, promotion and business ethics. His articles have appeared in theJournal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Marketing Education Review, andJournal of Marketing Theory and Practice.Dennis Menezes is an Associate Professor, Department of Marketing, University of Louisville, Ky. He received his Ph.D. His articles have appeared in numerous journals includingJournal of Marketing Research.     

A cognitive style perspective on ethical questions

Previous research has shown that cognitive style impacts several areas of human behavior of interest to marketers. This article reports the results of an exploratory study testing the proposition that cognitive style can influence one's perceptions of what is and is not a matter of ethics. The findings indicate that cognitive style can play a role in one's perceptions of ethics, and may help further our understanding of the factors that bear on ethical points of view.Roger P. McIntyre is Assistant Professor of Marketing at East Carolina University. He has published in theJournal of Macromarketing, theJournal of Travel Research, theInternational Marketing Review, theJournal of Euromarketing, and numerous proceedings. His research interests center on the influence of cognitive style on marketing relationships.Margaret M. Capen is an Associate Professor of Decision Sciences at East Carolina University, with a Ph.D. in Economics. She has published in such journals asApplied Economics, Journal of Industrial Relations, andThe Real Estate Appraiser. Her primary research interest is in applied linear models.The authors thank Michael P. Mokwa for his guidance.     

HR's view of ethics in the work place: Are the barbarians at the gate?

Based on responses from 1078 human resource (HR) professionals, this study concludes that there is not an ethical crisis in the work place. Seven of 37 situations were rated as serious problems by more than 25% of the respondents. HR reported that their organizations are serious about uncovering and disciplining ethical misconduct, top management has a commitment to ethical business conduct, personal principles are not compromised to conform to company expectations, and performance pressures do not lead to unethical conduct. John Danley is Professor of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. His area of research is political philosophy and applied ethics. His publications include journals such as Philosophy and Public Affairs, Philosophical Studies, Mind, Southwestern Journal of Philosophy, and the Journal of Business Ethics. He has authored a book entitled The Role of the Modern Corporation in a Free Society (Notre Dame Press, 1994). Edward J. Harrick is Professor of Management and Director of Labor and Management Programs at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. His research interests concern organizational effectiveness, employee satisfaction, and human resource issues. His work has appeared in journals such as Personnel Administrator, Personnel, Training and Development Journal, Public Personnel Management, National Productivity Review and Consulting Psychology Journal. Diane Schaefer is Assistant Director of Labor and Management Programs at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She has been involved in several large-scale survey research projects and employment selection validation studies. She was recently published in Consulting Psychology Journal. Donald Strickland is Professor of Management and Chair of the Department of Management at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He recently published a work on the responses of accounting administrators to situations related to fund raising in higher education. His research has appeared in journals such as Issues in Accounting Education, Journal of Drug Issues, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, and American Sociological Review. George Sullivan is Associate Professor of Management at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He teaches business law and business and society. His research has focused on such topics as employment discrimination, drugs in the workplace, race harassment, sex harassment, and pregnancy discrimination. His work has appeared in Labor Law Journal, Business and Society, Business Insights, Industrial Management, and the Journal of the College and University Personnel Association.     

Consumer ethics: An investigation of the ethical beliefs of elderly consumers

Business and especially marketing ethics have come to the forefront in recent years. While consumers have been surveyed regarding their perceptions of ethical business and marketing practices, research has been minimal with regard to their perceptions of ethical consumer practices. In addition, few studies have examined the ethical beliefs of elderly consumers even though they are an important and rapidly growing segment. This research investigates the relationship between Machiavellianism, ethical ideology and ethical beliefs for elderly consumers. The results indicate that elderly consumers, while generally being more ethical than younger consumers, are diverse in their eithical beliefs. Dr Scott J. Vitell is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Mississippi. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Macromarketing, the Journal of Business Ethics, the Journal of The Academy of Marketing Science, Research in Marketing, various national and regional proceedings, and elsewhere. Dr James R. Lumpkin is the Gene Brauns Professor of Marketing at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He has been published in such journals as the American Journal of Small Business, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, The Gerontologist, Psychological Reports, Industrial Marketing Management, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and other scholarly journals. Mohammed Y. A. Rawwas is a doctoral student of Marketing at the University of Mississippi. His publications have appeared in Medical Marketing and Media and national proceedings.     

Ethical attitudes of mental health practitioners: Balancing therapeutic practices and treatments

This paper reports the responses of 251 mental health care practitioners to a mail survey examining their views concerning ethical conflicts and practices within their work environments. Besides identifying the sources and types of conflicts they experience, respondents were asked how ethical standards have changed over the last 10 years as well as the factors influencing these changes. Conclusions and implications are outlined and future research needs are described.Mohammed Y. A. Rawwas is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Northern Iowa. His research has appeared in theJournal of Business Ethics, Journal of Hospital Marketing, Health Marketing Quarterly, Medical Marketing & Media, among other journals and proceedings.David Strutton is the Acadiana Bottling Professor of Marketing at the University of Southwestern Lousiana. His research has appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Macromarketing andJournal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, among other journals and proceedings.Lou E. Pelton is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of North Texas. His research has appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Global Marketing, Journal of Macromarketing, andJournal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, among other journals and proceedings.     

The International Business Ethics Index: European Union

The present study expands the systematic measurement of consumers’ sentiments towards business ethical practices to the international arena. Data for the Business Ethics Index (BEI) were gathered in three countries of the European Union (UK, Germany, Spain). The Germans were the most pessimistic while the British were the most optimistic about the future ethical behaviour of businesses. John Tsalikis is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Florida International University. His articles have appeared in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Ethics, and Psychology in Marketing. Bruce Seaton is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Florida International University. His research interests include the role of national stereotyping in consumer choice and the application of experimental methods to investigate models of business ethics. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Global Marketing.     

Consumer ethics: An empirical investigation of factors influencing ethical judgments of the final consumer

Business and marketing ethics have come to the forefront in recent years. While consumers have been surveyed regarding their perceptions of ethical business and marketing practices, research has been minimal with regard to their ethical beliefs and ideologies. This research investigates general attitudes of consumers relative to business, government and people in general, and compares these attitudes to their beliefs concerning various questionable consumer practices. The results show that consumers' ethical beliefs are determined, in part, by who is at fault in the unethical behavior (the seller or the buyer). The results also indicate that those with a more positive attitude toward business are less likely to engage in questionable consumer practices, but one's attitudes toward salespeople, the government and people in general arenot related to the consumer's ethical beliefs.Scott J. Vitell is an Associate Professor and the Michael S. Starnes Professor of Marketing and Business Ethics at the University of Mississippi. His publications have appeared in theJournal of Macromarketing, theJournal of Business Ethics, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of Business Research, Research in Marketing and numerous other journals and proceedings.James A. Muncy is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Clemson University. His publications have appeared in theJournal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Journal of Marketing Education, andAdvances in Consumer Research. He has also published in the National Proceedings of the American Marketing Association and the American Psychological Association and has published five chapters in books. He is active in the Association for Consumer Research, acting as its Publications Director and Newsletter Coeditor.     

Correlates of salespeople's ethical conflict: An exploratory investigation

Much have been written about marketing ethics. Virtually no published research, however, has examined what factors are related to the ethical conflict of salespeople. Such research is important because it could have direct implications for the management of sales personnel. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study that examined selected correlates of salespeople's ethical conflict. Implications for practitioners and academic are also provided. Alan J. Dubinsky is visiting Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Minnesota. He was previously Assistant Professor of Marketing at Southern Methodist University and Territory Manager for Burroughs Corperation. His publications have appeared in several journals, including Journal of Retailing, Journal of Advertising, California Management Review, MSU Business Topics, Business Horizons, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Thomas N. Ingram is Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Kentucky. He was formerly Product Manager and then Sales Manager with EXXON Company, U.S.A. and Mobil Chemical. His publications have appeared in Journal of Marketing Research, California Management Review, Business Horizons, Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He is also coauthor of a personal selling textbook (Macmillan, 1984).The autors gratefully acknowledge the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for its financial support of this project.     

The effects of culture on ethical decision-making: An application of Hofstede's typology

This paper addresses a significant gap in the conceptualization of business ethics within different cultural influences. Though theoretical models of business ethics have recognized the importance of culture in ethical decision-making, few have examinedhow this influences ethical decision-making. Therefore, this paper develops propositions concerning the influence of various cultural dimensions on ethical decision-making using Hofstede's typology.Scott J. Vitell is Associate Professor of Marketing and holder of the Michael S. Starnes Lecturship in Marketing and Business Ethics at the University of Mississippi. His work has previously appeared in theJournal of Macromarketing, theJournal of Business Ethics, Research in Marketing, and theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science as well as various other journals and proceedings.Saviour Nwachukwu is a Ph.D. candidate in Marketing. His research interests include international marketing, marketing and economic development, and marketing ethics.James H. Barnes is Associate Professor of Marketing and Pharmacy Administration and holder of the Morris Lewis, Jr. Lectureship in Marketing at the University of Mississippi. His research has previously appeared in theJournal of Marketing Research as well as other journals and proceedings.     

Ethical concerns in grievance arbitration

Although the use of arbitration has become commonplace in the organizational world, the ethical issues surrounding arbitration have never been fully explored. The paper reviews ethical issues in arbitration, particularly in terms of forensic bias parallels, that may affect decision-making and make the arbitrator's decision questionable. Finally, the maintenance of fairness in the arbitration process, and the importance of an ethically acceptable system of organizational justice are also discussed.Robert A. Giacalone is Associate professor of Management Systems at the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, University of Richmond. He is co-editor (with Paul Rosenfeld) ofImpression Management in the Organization (Erlbaum, 1989) andApplied Impression Management (Sage, 1991) and has authored papers on business ethics, organizational sabotage, exit interviewing, and impression management in organizational life. His work has appeared inHuman Relations, Business and Society Review, Journal of Business Ethics, andJournal of Social Psychology, as well as in a variety of other journals.James C. Goodwin is Professor of Management at the University of Richmond. He previously taught at the University of North Carolina and at Florida State University and served as a petroleum engineer with Chevron and Atlantic-Richfield. Dr. Goodwin is the author of numerous articles which have appeared in national and international journals.Martha L. Reiner is Assistant Professor of Management at the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, University of Richmond. She received her Ph.D. in business and public policy. She has co-authored articles that appeared in theCalifornia Management Review and theNonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.The authors would like to thank Hinda Greyser Pollard for her insightful comments on a previous draft of this paper.     

Impression management,overclaiming, and perceived unethical conduct: The role of male and female managers

This study examines the impact of impression management and overclaiming on self-reported ethical conduct of 174 managers (67 male, 107 female) who worked for a large not-for-profit organization. As anticipated, impression management and overclaiming positively influenced perceived unethical conduct of managers. Female managers were more prone to impression management than male managers. There was no significant difference in perceived unethical conduct or level of overclaiming of male and female managers.Peter P. Schoderbek is Professor of Management and Organizations at the University of Iowa. He is the author of six books and many articles on various aspects of management. He has lectured through out the United States, Canada, Japan, and Europe, and has conducted seminars for federal agencies, private corporations, universities, and governments. Much of his work has been in project management and goal setting. His recent interests include strategic policy, business ethics, and compensation. Satish Deshpande is an Associate Professor of Management at Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University. He teaches human resource management courses. His current research interests include business ethics, managerial decision-making, and applied psychology in human resource issues. His publications include articles in the Academy of Management Journal, Compensation and Benefits Review, Human Relations, Journal of Small Business Management, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.     

An experimental assessment of alternative teaching approaches for introducing business ethics to undergraduate business students

This study employs a pretest-posttest experimental design to extend recent research pertaining to the effects of teaching business ethics material. Results on a variety of perceptual and attitudinal measures are compared across three groups of students — one which discussed the ethicality of brief business situations (the business scenario discussion approach), one which was given a more philosophically oriented lecture (the philosophical lecture approach), and a third group which received no specific lecture or discussion pertaining to business ethics. Results showed some significant differences across the three groups and demonstrated that for a single lecture, the method used to teach ethics can differentially impact ethical attitudes and perceptions. Various demographic and background variables did not moderate the relationship between the teaching method and the dependent variables, but the sex of the student was strongly associated with the ethical attitude and perception measures. Scot Burton is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Louisiana State University. His research has appeared in the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Consumer Research, and the Journal of Marketing, among others. Mark. W. Johnston is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Louisianna State University. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and the Journal of Business Research. Elizabeth J. Wilson is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Louisiana State University. Her research has been published in the Journal of Advertising Research and Industrial Marketing Management.     

Ethical ideology and ethical judgment regarding ethical issues in business

Differences in ethical ideology are thought to influence individuals' reasoning about moral issues (Forsyth and Nye, 1990; Forsyth, 1992). To date, relatively little research has addressed this proposition in terms of business-related ethical issues. In the present study, four groups, representing four distinct ethical ideologies, were created based on the two dimensions of the Ethical Position Questionnaire (idealism and relativism), as posited by Forsyth (1980). The ethical judgments of individuals regarding several business-related issues varied, depending upon their ethical ideology.Tim Barnett is Assistant Professor of Management at Louisiana Tech University. He has published in such journals asPersonnel Psychology, theJournal of Business Research, andHuman Relations. His research interests include ethical decision making and ethical issues in HRM.Ken Bass is Assistant Professor of Management at East Carolina State University. He has articles published in several journals, including theJournal of Personal Selling and Sales Management. His research interests include ethical decision making, ethical strategy, and methodology.Gene Brown is Associate Professor Marketing at Louisiana Tech University. He is published in such journals as theJournal of Retailing, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of Business Research, Psychology and Marketing, and Industrial Marketing Management. His main interests include personal selling, retailing, ethics, and methodology.     

An empirical examination of three machiavellian concepts: Advertisers vs. the general public

This paper examines the perceived ethics of advertisers and the general public relative to three ethical concepts. Based on the survey findings, it can be concluded that with regard to the ethically-laden concepts of manipulation, exploitation, and deviousness, advertisers are perceptually as ethical as the general public. The research also clarifies some of the differences between ethics and Machiavellianism.John P. Fraedrich is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Dr. Fraedrich's teaching and research interests are primarily in the areas of business ethics, international channels, strategy, and theory. His recently completed dissertation was entitled Philosophy Type Interaction in the Ethical Decision Making Process of Retailers. O. C. Ferrell is the Distinguished Professor of Marketing and Business Ethics in the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at Memphis State University. Dr. Ferrell is the author of articles in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Risk and Insurance, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Health Care Marketing, as well as others. He is co-author of Marketing: Concepts and Strategies, 6th ed., Marketing Strategy and Plans, 3rd ed., and Business. William M. Pride is a Professor of Marketing at Texas A&M University. Dr. Pride's teaching and research interests are primarily in the areas of consumer behavior, promotion, and advertising. He has written several books and has published numerous articles in a variety of journals including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Retailing, and the Journal of Advertising.     

The perceived role of ethics and social responsibility: A scale development

Marketers must first perceive ethics and social responsibility to be important before their behaviors are likely to become more ethical and reflect greater social responsibility. However, little research has been conducted concerning marketers' perceptions regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility as components of business decisions. The purpose of this study is to develop a reliable and valid scale for measuring marketers' perceptions regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility. The authors develop an instrument for the measurement of the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility (PRESOR). Evidence that the scale is valid is presented through the assessment of scale reliability, as well as content and predictive validity. Finally, future research needs and the value of this construct to marketing are discussed. Anusorn Singhapakdi is Associate Professor of Marketing at Old Dominion University. He received his Ph.D. in Marketing. His has published in the Journal of Macromarketing, the Journal of Business Ethics, the Business and Professional Ethics Journal, the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. He has presented papers at various professional conferences including the American Marketing Association and the Academy of Marketing Science. Scott J. Vitell is Associate Professor of Marketing and holder of the Phil B. Hardin Chair of Marketing at the University of Mississippi. He received his Ph.D. in Marketing. His work has previously appeared in the Journal of Macromarketing, the Journal of Business Ethics, Research in Marketing, the Business and Professional Ethics Journal and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science as well as various other journals and proceedings. Kumar C. Rallapalli is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Troy State University. His research has been published in the Journal of Business Ethics, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and the Journal of Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management as well as various national and regional proceedings. His research interests include marketing ethics, health care marketing, international marketing and direct marketing. Kenneth L. Kraft is Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Tampa. He received his DBA in Management. He has published numerous articles on Business Ethics, Organization Design and Strategic Planning in Journals such as the Academy of Management Review, America Business Review and the Journal of Business Ethics. His current research interest centers on the measurement of moral intensity.     

Marketing research interviewers and their perceived necessity of moral compromise

Marketing research interviewers often feel that they must compromise their own moral principles while executing work-related activities. This finding is based on analysis of data obtained from three focus group interviews and a mail survey of 173 telephone survey interviewers. Data from the mail survey were used to construct scales measuring interviewers' perceived necessity of moral compromise, moral character, and job satisfaction. The three scales then were used in a hierarchical regression analysis to predict incidences of interviewers' self-reported proscribed behaviors on the job, the latter being an index of behaviors known by interviewers to be wrong. Results support all hypothesized relationships. James E. Nelson is Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Professor Nelson's research interests include topics in survey research, branding and brand equity, and humor in advertising. He has published in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Marketing Research. He teaches courses in marketing strategy, marketing research, and multivariate statistics. Pamela L. Kiecker is Associate Professor of Marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University. Professor Kiecker's research interests include topics in survey research, gender and consumer behavior, business ethics, and the dynamics of buyer-seller relationships. She has published in the Journal of Marketing Channels, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Research, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Advances in Consumer Research, and Proceedings of the American Marketing Association. She teaches courses in consumer behavior, advertising and promotion strategy, and marketing ethics.     

A cross-cultural comparison of the ethics of business students

The ethical tendencies of university business students from the USA, Denmark, and New Zealand were examined by analyzing their reactions to ethical dilemmas presented in a set of ethical problem situations. These dilemmas dealt with coercion and control, conflict of interest, physical environment, paternalism and personal integrity. Findings indicate that students' reactions tended to be similar regardless of their country. A comparison of these findings to practicing managers indicated that students and practicing managers exhibit a similar degree of sensitivity to ethical dimensions of business decision-making. Implications are drawn for business education and further research. Steven Lysonski is an Associate Professor at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a former member of the marketing faculty at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ and the University of Rhode Island at Kingston. In addition to presenting research to more than 30 academic conferences, he has published widely in such journals as the Journal of Marketing, The European Journal of Marketing, the International Journal of Advertising, the Journal of Product Innovation and Management and Psychological Reports. His research interests focus on product management, international issues of marketing, and ethical implications of marketing. William Gaidis is an Assistant Professor at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has published articles in the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of Consumer Affairs, and other journals and academic conferences. His research interests focus upon decision-making, strategic-implementation problems, and business ethics.     

Bribery and extortion in international business: Ethical perceptions of Greeks compared to Americans

This study investigates the differences in he way bribery and extortion is perceived by two different cultures — American and Greek. Two hundred and forty American business students and two hundred and four Greek business students were presented with three scenarios describing a businessman offering a bribe to a government official and three scenarios describing a businessman being forced to pay a bribe to an official in order to do business. The Reidenbach-Robin instrument was used to measure the ethical reactions of the two samples to these scenarios. Results indicate that ethical reactions to bribery and extortion vary by (a) the nationality of the person offering the bribe, and (b) the country where the bribe is offered. In addition, Greeks perceived some of the scenarios as being less unethical than did Americans.John Tsalikis is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Florida International University. His research interests include marketing ethics, international marketing, and direct marketing. His articles have appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Business Ethics, Psychology and Marketing, and theJournal of International Consumer Marketing.Michael S. LaTour is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Auburn University. His research interests include marketing ethics, and emotional responses to advertising. His articles have appeared in theJournal of Business Ethics, Psychology and Marketing, Journal of Health Care Marketing, and theJournal of Advertising.The authors contributed equally to this article.