Ethical marketing in the internet era: a research agenda

Abstract

As other areas of business, internet marketing has been attacked by social commentators and other consumer or general public organisations for alleged unethical practices. This paper identifies areas of ethical concerns that are specific to e-marketing, and determine an agenda of issues that require examination by researchers and practitioners alike, based on a rating of their urgency and importance by internet users. This paper offers a critical examination and key ethical analysis of issues arising in the planning and execution of internet marketing practice. It provides a critical reflection on ethical issues spawn by specific e-marketing strategies and practices. It discusses the ethical implications and consequences of strategies and practices that marketing managers may consider in decision making. It identifies issues perceived as more relevant through a survey, reflecting the priority of consumers' perception. Given these, a convenience sample of avid internet users was selected, the sample population was asked to rate and rank ethical dilemmas.