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MARKETING UNDERGRADUATE PROJECT TOPICS

EFFECTS OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR ON MARKETING MANAGERS

EFFECTS OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR ON MARKETING MANAGERS

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EFFECTS OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR ON MARKETING MANAGERS

ABSTRACT

Many modern organisations are currently facing several issues, including unlawful and unethical business practices in a variety of transactions. Most organisations have developed codes of ethics to deal with ethical concerns that confront them.

This study project investigates the consequences of ethical behaviour on marketing managers, with a focus on Cadbury Nigeria Plc. A hundred Cadbury Plc employees were sampled to gather data.

There were sixty marketing managers and forty marketing executives. The research employs a quantitative approach, with three null hypotheses. The data collected were analysed using Chi-square test statistics.

The findings demonstrated that marketing managers’ ethical behaviour has an impact on an organization’s performance, and that good ethical behaviour correlates positively with organisational performance.

Appropriate policy recommendations were proposed, which decision makers in commercial organisations and government officials may find quite valuable.Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background of the Study

The term “ethics in organisational performance” has long been connected with management researchers and global business leaders. There is widespread consensus around the world that every organisation aspires to be morally transparent in its corporate policy.

In the sphere of corporate ethics, “ordinary decency” comprises such aspects as integrity, honesty, and fairness. Behaving ethically is viewed as part of an organization’s social responsibility, which is based on the notion that organisations should have an impact on society in ways other than profit maximisation.

In many cases, it is argued that it is in an organization’s best interests to act in a way that recognises the importance of moral and ethical content in managerial decisions, since this will benefit the organisation in the long run.

Ethical behaviour is defined by honesty, justice, and equity in interpersonal, professional, and academic relationships, as well as respect for the dignity, diversity, and rights of individuals and groups of people.

As a result, for an organisation to progress in terms of performance, it is critical that it has a good knowledge of ethics and takes it seriously, as this might damage the organization’s and society’s competitive strength.

Morals stem from practically every action, therefore organisational stability and survival are dependent on the consistency and quality of ethical decisions made by management.

Marketing managers are pushed and urged to have an obligation to organisational performance and society as a whole, to promote and aid society in imbibing an ethical culture that is in everyone’s best interests.

Most organisations have recently developed codes of ethics to address ethical concerns that they face. A code of ethics is a collection of moral principles used by organisations to guide the conduct of themselves and their workers in all business activities,

both internally and internationally. Codes, as opposed to straightforward policies, offer the advantage of providing detailed guidance on major issues that may arise over the course of an organization’s actions.

1.1 Statement of Problem

The field of corporate ethics has seen a growth in research interest, both empirically and philosophically. This is seen in the increased number of business ethics journals published during this time period.

This issue becomes more apparent as marketing managers are forced to function in a global environment due to company internationalisation and the global economy. Marketing managers must work with consumers from various ethical backgrounds in Nigeria.

Each ethic can be extremely similar in some dimensions but very different in others when compared to the marketing manager’s culture. This comparison highlights the importance of knowing how culture and behaviour influence marketing managers.

Many modern organisations encounter several obstacles, including unlawful and immoral activity in a variety of economic operations. Marketing managers are likewise challenged with assessing the impact of critical behaviour on the success of such organisations.

Furthermore, many marketing managers conduct their activities nowadays without any concern for whether their acts are right or bad, and the degree of employees’ grasp of the term ethics is negligible,

while the level of compliance is extremely low. The fact that Nigerian culture cares little about the source of riches has led some of these company operators to question the need of ethics in an organisation.

1.2 Purpose of the Study

The goal of this research is to determine if:

i. Are there any distinctions in the ethical behaviour of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig. Plc?

ii. Does marketing managers’ ethical behaviour have any association with organisational performance?

iii. To demonstrate the importance of strong ethics in the success and institutionalisation of an organisation.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS.

1. Are there any disparities in the ethical behaviours of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig Plc?

2. Do cultural differences effect the ethical behaviours of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig. Plc?

3. Do marketing managers’ ethical actions affect Cadbury Nig. Plc’s productivity?

4. Are there any distinctions in the ethical practices of marketing managers in Cadbury Nig. Plc?

1.4 Statements of Hypothesis

Hypothesis #1:

HO: There are no variations in the ethical behaviours of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig. Plc.

H1: There are disparities in the ethical behaviours of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig Plc.

Hypothesis #2:

HO: Cultural differences do not effect the ethical practices of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig. Plc.

H1: Cultural differences influence the ethical behaviours of marketing managers at Cadbury Nig Plc.

Hypothesis #3:

HO: Ethical behaviour of marketing managers has little effect on the production of Cadbury Nig. Plc.

H1: Marketing managers’ ethical actions have an impact on Cadbury Nig. Plc’s productivity.

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study lays the groundwork for future research to determine whether contact with people from different cultures influences and affects the marketing decisions of marketing managers at Cadbury Nigeria Plc and other relevant organisations in Nigeria.

The information obtained in this research work may be very useful to the marketing department of Cadbury Nig. Plc. and others because if these companies do not perceive the effects in their employees,

there is a possibility that the marketing managers will be influenced by others, which will affect the company’s consumers and possibly its sales.

1.6 Research Methodology

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the effects of ethical views among marketing managers at Cadbury Nigeria Plc. and if the variables of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/femininity influenced those differences.

The poll would be undertaken by Cadbury Nigeria Plc’s marketing managers.The study employed a matched sampling strategy, which is promoted by cross-cultural research methodologists and involves making the samples of cultural groups to be studied as similar as feasible in terms of demographic features.

The researcher intends to sample sixty (60) out of the one hundred and fourteen (114) marketing managers of Cadbury Nigeria Plc Lagos. The sample will include marketing managers from Cadbury’s individual product brands.

Because marketing managers may be biassed in reporting their genuine ethical behaviour, forty (40) marketing executives who work directly beneath the marketing managers will also be sampled.

The researcher would employ a variety of statistical tests, primarily frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, and t-tests, to assess the dimensions of attitudes that potentially influence marketing managers’ ethical behaviour. Chi-Square analysis would also be used to examine the hypotheses given for the investigation.

1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study

Because of Nigeria’s multicultural and ethnic diversity, as well as the reality that culture influences human behaviour, the researcher selected Cadbury Nig Plc’s marketing managers as his sample from the whole population of marketing managers in Nigeria.

Cadbury Nigeria Plc is a multinational firm with marketing professionals from around Nigeria.This is the primary reason it was chosen as the case study for this research.

The following are expected to be barriers to the effective conduct of this research effort.

a) The time frame within which the investigation must be finished.

b) Financial constraints.

c) Inaccessible and inadequate data.

d) Combining project work with other activities is another difficult chore that may limit my ability to thoroughly cover research materials.

1.8 Definition of Terms

In some cases, words may have different meanings. On the other hand, according to Thouless, “if our thoughts are to be clearly communicated to other people then we must have a method of fixing the meaning of the words we use” . To ensure clarity, some key words used in this study are defined as follows:

Effects: Almost synonymous with impact. That is the impact one thing has on another. How one issue impacts another.

Ethics refers to what is morally right. The standards of a culture or tradition of an institution supposed to be followed in order to achieve a specified purpose and objective.

Behaviour: The way an individual or organisation does things. An individual’s or organization’s attitude is heavily influenced by the cultural beliefs of the ethnic group from which he or she originates.

Culture: A society’s institutions, values, beliefs, and behaviours; all we acquire as opposed to what we were born with; that portion of the environment influenced by humans, whether domestic, foreign, or both.

Culture and Marketing Ethical Behaviours: Concerned with the numerous moral or ethical issues that can arise in a marketing situation, as well as the special duties or obligations that marketing professionals must fulfil.

Marketing is the management process responsible for finding, predicting, and satisfying client needs profitably or not.

Managers are members of an organization’s management team tasked with successfully and efficiently using the company’s resources (including human resources) to achieve the organization’s specified goals and objectives.

Organisation: A formal organisation comprising management and people responsible for ensuring that the institution’s targeted goals and objectives are met.

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