Social Contracts and Marketing Ethics

This paper describes the need and the search to date for a normative moral foundation for marketing. Social contract theory appears promising because of its clear correspondence to the exchange relationships central to marketing thought and practice. It is introduced in a specific formulation known as Integrative Social Contracts Theory. ISCT provides a coherent framework for resolving ethical issues arising between different communities and is therefore particularly appropriate because marketers frequently engage in boundary-spanning relationships and crosscultural activities. The application of ISCT to ethical decision making in marketing is explored through the use of bribery as a major illustrative example. Implications for managers and researchers are discussed.