DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Ethical Issues in Business Marketing Researches

  • HWANG, Hee-Joong (Department of International Trade, Korea National Open University)
  • Received : 2022.09.24
  • Accepted : 2022.09.30
  • Published : 2022.09.30

Abstract

Purpose: Various ethical issues arise in different stages of management and business marketing research. The current study aims to take look at practices that ensure informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, deception, and legal aspect in data management in procedures involved in marketing research. Research design, data and methodology: Literature content analysis was conducted for this research and the current author has investigated journal articles mostly to guarantee a high degree of content validity and to keep the advantages of qualitative content approach. The current study explores manifest topics regarding the ethical issues of business marketing research. Results: The current study found that ethical consideration needs to be similarly significant and learning from the previous researchers' approach to handling this issue is helpful for future research and is essential to have additional guidelines. Also, four findings (Lack of Informed Consent, Deception, Invasion of Privacy and Confidentiality, and Legal Data Management) indicate that marketing researchers need to consider before undertaking any project. Conclusions: Overall, the study presents practical suggestions though unexhausted. By raising these ethical marketing issues, consumer behavior disciplines will continue to expand and contribute positively towards attaining thoughts, feelings, and decisions that positively contribute to marketing research as the foundation for effective marking practices.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the research grant of the KODISA Scholarship Foundation in 2022.

References

  1. Alsmadi, S. (2018). Marketing Research Ethics: Researcher's Obligations toward Human Subjects. Journal of Academic Ethics, 6(2), 153-160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10805-008-9060-1
  2. Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2019). Ethics in business research. Oxford University Press.
  3. Campbell, M. R., & Brauer, M. (2020). Incorporating Social-Marketing Insights Into Prejudice Research: Advancing Theory and Demonstrating Real-World Applications. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(3), 608-629. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691619896622
  4. Floridi, L. (2018). Soft ethics, the governance of the digital, and the General Data Protection Regulation. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 376(2133), 20180081. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2018.0081
  5. Harcourt, D., & Conroy, H. (2011). Informed consent: Processes and procedures seeking research partnerships with young children. In Researching young children's perspectives (pp. 58-71). Routledge.
  6. Husband, G. (2020). Ethical Data Collection and Recognizing the Impact of Semi-Structured Interviews on Research Respondents. Education Sciences, 10(8), 206. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10080206
  7. Joyvice, C., Atemnkeng, J. T., Sama, M. C., Agbor, M. S., & Buwah, N. N. (2019). The Effect of Deceptive Marketing Communication on the Brand Equity of Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEVs) in Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest Regions. International Journal of Social and Administrative Sciences, 4(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.136.2019.41.1.13
  8. Kang, E., & Hwang, H. J. (2021). Ethical Conducts in Qualitative Research Methodology: Participant Observation and Interview Process. Journal of Research and Publication Ethics, 2(2), 5-10. https://doi.org/10.15722/JRPE.2.2.202109.5
  9. Sims, R. R. (1992). The challenge of ethical behavior in organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 11(7), 505-513. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00881442
  10. Tagliamonte, M. D., Tippie, H. B., & Shaw, E. H. (2020). Plato's Philosophy of Marketing.
  11. Tannenbaum, N., & Spradley, J. P. (2020). Participant Observation. Anthropological Quarterly, 53(4), 260. https://doi.org/10.2307/3318111
  12. Wallace, M., & Sheldon, N. (2019). Business Research Ethics: Participant Observer Perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(2), 267-277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2102-2