ETHICS IN INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Ethics in International Management

Ethics in International Management

Introduction

Marketing research and targeted advertising are widely used techniques to establish a connection between products and consumers. Information obtained through marketing research can offer a competitive advantage for a company by implementing practices discovered to be important to existing and potential customers. When consumer expectations are defined, a targeted advertising campaign can be directed toward individuals who are likely to buy the product or service being offered. Because the research and advertising processes involve personal investigation and communication, ethical issues often become a factor. This assignment will identify areas of ethical concerns throughout the research and advertising processes. In addition, this paper will describe advertising campaigns that raise ethical concerns and explain the responsibilities of those involved. Marketing research and targeted advertising are successful components of the business world, as long as the established ethical boundaries are not compromised. Conducting ethical research and implementing ethical advertising campaigns can contribute to building and sustaining successful customer relationships. Therefore, all the issues related to Ethics in International Management will be discussed in detail.

Background of Ethical issues

Marketing research is used to obtain information related to consumer behavior. The public is often unaware that their Internet activity, online browsing, and social media connections provide researchers with the opportunity to track their actions and establish a profile of personal interests. Researchers gather data to obtain knowledge of individual interest patterns, creating the ability to establish target markets for advertising. Marketing research data provide valuable information to assist companies in determining customer expectations, but the desire to obtain data can sometimes compromise consumer expectations of privacy and the integrity of the process. Unethical behavior in marketing research will diminish public trust, subsequently limiting the opportunity to effectively advertise products and services to interested segments of the population. Demonstrating ethical behavior will serve as a means for relationship building and corporate stability, resulting in a stronger organization. Target marketing divides a given market into segments and directs advertising activities toward the selected segment. Targeted advertising campaigns distribute a message to the chosen consumer segment with the goal of informing or persuading the recipients. Ethical considerations become an issue when the message being sent to the target audience is viewed as potentially harmful. This is more prevalent when the selected segment is identified as a group of vulnerable consumers, such as children or the elderly (Beri, 2008, 145).

Criteria used for an ethical research

An ethical research can produce valuable information related to new product development, market share, and market performance. It is important to understand the broad definition of marketing research in order to recognize areas throughout the process that need attention to ensure that ethical standards are being met. Marketing research provides the opportunity to obtain information that can be processed and analyzed to promote new connections and strengthen existing customer relationships. Information gathered can be used to assist with defining various marketing opportunities, evaluating the flow of market actions, and monitoring the status of ...