College of Business Administration

Ethical Advertising

1) Do people have self-determination & free will in making purchasing decisions or are they easily manipulated or coerced by marketing?

2) Is the use of subliminal advertising morally permissible?

3) Are advertisements that target children ethical?

4) Is it ethical to utilize social insecurities of teenagers to sell products? Is it considered preying upon their fears, worries, hopes and dreams, or is it a justifiable use of a marketing tool for fair competition?

5) Is self-regulation by business through codes of marketing practices sufficient to protect social welfare? Should these codes be enforced through legislation? Philip Morris Video

6) Should American corporations be held accountable to the same ethical standards in advertising and promotions internationally as they are domestically?

7) Given the lack of cohesive international regulations governing advertising, is boycotting the only effective means of enforcement of ethical standards?

8) Is awarding Richard Boeken $3 billion in punitive damages a just decision? To what extent should Philip Morris be held accountable for adverse health effects of smoking?

Ethics and Consumer Rights

9) Every dangerous product can be made safer at some cost, but is there a limit to the safety improvements that a manufacturer ought to provide?

10) Who determines who is responsible for the effects of unsafe products?

11) Does the doctrine that a person is bound by a signed agreement stand in the way of any relief?

12) When product safety is viewed as a matter of cost, how should the cost be distributed between manufacturers and consumers?

13) Should a plaintiff have to prove negligence by the manufacturer in order to win a lawsuit against the manufacturer?

14) President Kennedy believed consumers should have the following rights:

- The right to be protected from harmful products.
- The right to be provided with adequate information about products.
- The right to be offered a choice that includes the products that consumers truly want.
- The right to have a voice in the making of major marketing decisions.

What various programs or legislation are enacted to ensure these consumer rights are inviolate. What additional recommendations do you have to ensure these rights?

15) Many managers believe that the fates of products are up to the market. If a product is viewed as unsafe or to damaging to the environment, it is up to the consumer to reject the product in the market. To what extent are the customers responsible for the detrimental products on the market (i.e. SUV's, tobacco products)? What responsibilities do we have as consumers to the environment and the welfare of others?

Merck Video

16) Would you be encouraged to buy products, or go out of your way to support a company such as Merck because of such humanitarian efforts? Pharmaceutical Price Controls

17) Spinello…"Is it morally wrong to charge exceptionally high prices even if the market is willing to pay that price?"

18) Should pharmaceutical companies be subject to different profitability constraints than other companies since they provide essential goods that preserve human life?

19) Would price controls work in practice or would they bring about negative consequences such as the shutting down of drug research?

20) Do the rights of consumers weigh more than the rights a corporation has to its shareholders?