부산대학교 도서관

In 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.