Indian Institute of Management Rohtak

Course Outline

Course Title : Marketing Ethics

Credits : 0.5
Type : Elective
Session Duration : 10 session of 75 minutes each
Term : VI
Year : 2022
Faculty : Dr. Archit V. Tapar (archit.tapar@iimrohtak.ac.in)
________________________________________________________________________

Introduction
Marketing products/services to buyers profitably is a broad objective of every business
organization. However, due to the fierce competition amongst the business organizations in
the marketplace, these organizations may be tempted to take a different path to have control
over the marketplace as well as the buyers. The different path here refers to deceptive
advertising, unfair pricing, misleading labeling, abuses of power in distribution, etc. Such
marketing practices by business organizations are usually considered questionable in terms of
their ethical quotient. These practices may bring the organization success in terms of
amassing money and growth in the short term. But on the other hand, it may hamper the
progress of customer retention policy and the brand image of these organizations in the long
run. These questionable practices may not only put the concerned business organizations in
grave problems but also destabilize the growth of society in general. And when it is found
that even after some form of warning or other, there is no change in their behavior, the legal
domain, time and again, comes in a big way to bring them onto the track with solid and heavy
penalties. An endeavor has been made in this course to make the participants aware of the
ethical issues in the field of marketing.

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to sensitize the participants towards ethical issues concerning
the marketing of products, explore the social concerns in ethical marketing, and orient the
participants toward how one can make marketing decisions without being called unethical.

Learning Outcomes
The course would provide the following learning outcomes:
 Gain perspectives on ethical concerns in marketing products and services.
 Understanding of the approach to managing ethical issues in marketing.
 Integrate understanding of ethical decisions across the 4 Ps and the impact of one on
the other.
 Critically assess the role of ethics in international marketing
 Analyse and evaluate ethical perspectives on sustainability in marketing
 Pedagogy
The pedagogy will consist of discussion on concepts and cases, including case analysis
presentations on the same. All participants are expected to prepare themselves for the cases
and readings provided for the sessions.

Evaluation Scheme

Group Project 20%

Class participation & Assignments 20%
Quizzes 20%
End term examination 40%
Total 100%

References
Additional Text:
1. Ethics in Marketing by S. Horowitz, Jaico Publishing House, 2005.
2. Marketing Ethics (Series - Foundations of Business Ethics) by G. G. Brenkert, John
Wiley and Sons, 2008.
3. Marketing ethics & society by Eagle, L., & Dahl, S. Sage Publications. (2015). 

Session Plan
Session Topic and Sub- Readings Case / Exercise /
No. topics Assignment
Module I Introduction to Marketing Ethics
1 An Introduction to Payne, D., & Pressley, M. (2013). A Case: Marketing and
Marketing Ethics transcendent code of ethics for ethics, J. Fritz et al.,
marketing professionals. International 2010, DBS, UV5276.
Journal of Law and Management,
55(1), 55-73.

Module II Ethical Issues in Marketing

2 Ethical Issues in Smith, N. C., & Cooper-Martin, E.
Marketing to (1997). Ethics and target marketing:
Vulnerable The role of product harm and
Consumers consumer vulnerability. Journal of
Marketing, 61(3), 1-20.
3 Ethical Issues In Wang, H. (2006). Slotting allowances
Retailing and retailer market power. Journal of
(Promotional Economic Studies 33 (1), 68-77.
pricing and slotting
fees)
4 Ethical Issues in Kaikati, A. M., & Kaikati, J. G.
Stealth Marketing (2004). Stealth marketing: How to
reach consumers
surreptitiously. California
Case: Uptown Cigarette
Robbin Derry and
Sachin Waikar, 2017.
Kellogg School of
Management Cases
Case: Retail
Promotional Pricing:
When is a Sale Really a
Sale? (A), 1992, HBS,
9-591-111.
Martin, K. D., & Smith,
N. C. (2008).
Commercializing social
interaction: The ethics
 management review, 46(4), 6-22. of stealth
marketing. Journal of
Public Policy &
Marketing, 27(1), 45-56.
5 Advertising Issues Bull, J. (2003). Responsible Case: “Charmingly
in marketing to marketing: an agency’s role. Young delicious”: childhood
children Consumers. 4(2), 51-56 obesity and General
Mills’ dilemma
Paine, W. S., Stewart, K., & Kruger, (Emerald)
E. (2002). Preventing ethical problems
when marketing to minors. Young
Consumers. 3(2), 69-80
6 Ethical Issues in Jin, Y., Pang, A., & Smith, J. (2018). Case: Fingerhut's Price
Communication Crisis communication and ethics: the Strategy (Darden)
role of public relations. Journal of
Business Strategy, 39 (1), 43-52.
7 Ethical Issues in Donaldson, T., & Dunfee, T. W. Case: GlaxoSmithKline
International (1999). When ethics travel: The in China (A), 2013,
Marketing promise and peril of global business HBS, 9-514-049.
ethics. California Management
Review, 41(4). 45-63

Sillup, G. P., & Porth, S. J. (2008).

Ethical issues in the pharmaceutical
industry: an analysis of US
newspapers. International Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
Marketing. 2 (3) 163-180.
Module III Marketing Ethics and Social Issues
8 Stereotyping in Eagle, L., Dahl, S., & Low, D. R. Case: Fair & Lovely vs.
Marketing (2014). Ethical issues in the marketing Dark is Beautiful
of skin lightening products. 75-81 HBS 516079-PDF-ENG
9 Ethical Dyck, B., & Manchanda, R. V. (2021). Case: Up-fuse
Perspectives on Sustainable marketing based on virtue transforming plastic
Sustainability in ethics: Addressing socio-ecological waste into innovative
Marketing challenges facing humankind. AMS products: the case study
Review, 11(1), 115-132. of a sustainable
Egyptian start-up
(Emerald)
10 Group presentations and Course Wrap-up

Table of Contents

Sl. No. Reading/ Title Session

Case No. No.
1 R1 A transcendent code of ethics for marketing professionals.  1
Ethics and target marketing: The role of product harm and 2
2 R2
consumer vulnerability
 3 R3 Slotting allowances and retailer market power 3
4 R4 Stealth marketing: How to reach consumers surreptitiously. 4
5 R5 Responsible marketing: an agency’s role.  5
6 R6 Preventing ethical problems when marketing to minors.  5
7 R7 Crisis communication and ethics: the role of public relations. 6
When ethics travel: The promise and peril of global business 7
8 R8
ethics. 
Ethical issues in the pharmaceutical industry: an analysis of 7
9 R9
US newspapers.
Sustainable marketing based on virtue ethics: Addressing
10 R10
socio-ecological challenges facing humankind
11 C1 Marketing and ethics 1
12 C2 Uptown Cigarette 2
Retail Promotional Pricing: When is a Sale Really a Sale? 3
13 C3
(A)
Commercializing social interaction: The ethics of stealth 4
14 C4
marketing. 
“Charmingly delicious”: childhood obesity and General 5
15 C5
Mills’ dilemma
16 C6 Fingerhut's Price Strategy 6
17 C7 GlaxoSmithKline in China (A) 7
18 C8 Fair & Lovely vs. Dark is Beautiful 8
Up-fuse transforming plastic waste into innovative products: 9
19 C9
the case study of a sustainable Egyptian start-up
(A few articles/cases may be added/changed later and also the sequence of related discussion if found suitable by the instructor)

Note: ‘R’ and ‘C’ in the second column stand for ‘Reading’ and ‘Case’ respectively.