Business and Marketing Ethics

This subject addresses the ethical challenges confronting managers and marketers in contemporary business organisations. Ethically questionable practices can include sweatshop labour, the destruction of the natural environment, sex in advertising, and political lobbying and influence. But business and marketing can also demonstrate ethical leadership, for example through green products, cause-related marketing and sustainable supply chains. The subject will explore why firms respond in these ways from the context of debates on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, including strategic, ethical and critical/political perspectives. The subject then addresses what ethical issues are important to specific stakeholder groups, including employees, consumers, governments and NGO activists.