Moral Philosophies, Ethical Perceptions and the Ethical Judgments of Sales Professionals

Abstract

This study examines the relative influences of two basic dimensions of moral philosophy, relativism and idealism, along with perceptions of an ethical problem, on the ethical judgments of sales professionals. The results from a mail survey of American Marketing Association members indicate no relationship between a salesperson’s relativism and his/her ethical judgments, a weak positive relationship between idealism and a salesperson’s ethical judgments. The survey results also indicate that perceptions of an ethical problem have impact on the salespeople’s ethical judgments in a positive way.