Early-Career Marketing Practitioner Experiences of Ethics: Implications for Ethics Education

n the wake of recent global scandals and criticism of unethical practice in business and
marketing, there are calls for universities to put greater emphasis on ethics and social
education. Numerous academic and practical studies debate issues of the purpose and
delivery and evaluate impact of ethics interventions on university students. Extensive
management research reveals factors influencing practitioner ethical behaviour,
however, the ethical experiences of practitioners in the early stages of their careers
and the impact of ethics education is under-researched.
The aim of this research is to understand how early-career marketing practitioners
experience ethical issues in the workplace and to explore their attitudes towards ethics
education and training. Qualitative in-depth interviews with London South Bank
University marketing graduates explore these experiences.
This research makes several contributions to academic knowledge. It highlights the
new and important insight offered by early-career practitioners to the ethics education
debate. It emphasises the importance of ethics education as a preparation for the
workplace and demonstrates that ethics interventions develop ethical consciousness.
Importantly, it suggests a new approach to the purpose and delivery of ethics
education which combines cognitive, affective and conative interventions across the
curriculum. Finally, the research identifies the important role of internal relations and
job satisfaction in developing ethical behaviour, trust and reputation and thereby
reinforces the importance of organisational culture in decision making.
Recommendations for ethics education practice focus on fundamental changes across
the university marketing and business subject area where ethical considerations
become part of decision making criteria, supported by a committed organisational
culture. This is to be delivered through practical content which stimulates rational
thinking, sensitivity, reflection, and action embedded across the curriculum and in
workplace training interventions.