The Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility: A Scale Development

Abstract

It can be assumed that marketers must first perceive ethics and social responsibility to be important before their behaviors will become more ethical and reflect greater social responsibility. However, little is known about marketers' perceptions regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility 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 a 13 item instrument for the measurement of the perceived role of ethics and social responsibility. The results of exploratory factor analysis reveal that the scale has 3 dimensions: (1) social responsibility and profitability, (2) long term gains, and (3) short-term gains. Evidence that the scale is valid is presented through the assessment of scale reliability, content, and predictive validity. Finally, future research needs and the value of this construct to marketing are discussed.