Are Marketers Egoists? A Typological Explication

Jayasankar Ramanathan () and Biswanath Swain
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Jayasankar Ramanathan: Indian Institute of Management Indore
Biswanath Swain: Indian Institute of Management Indore

Journal of Business Ethics, 2019, vol. 155, issue 2, No 17, 621 pages

Abstract: Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explicate the idea of egoism in the context of marketing. The idea of egoism is reviewed and contextualized into a framework for interpreting different marketer types. Marketers’ potential trade-offs with consumers and competitors are examined. Four types of marketers are explicated: extremely egoistic marketer, moderately egoistic marketer, moderately altruistic marketer, and extremely altruistic marketer. The framework offered in the paper is of relevance to marketers, media, and agencies rewarding marketing performance. The framework may help in assessing the ethical quotient in marketers’ preferences and behaviors. Studies recognizing the pertinence of egoism in marketing are scarce, and the typological framework discussed in the paper is a contribution to the marketing ethics literature.

Keywords: Altruism; Competitor; Consumer; Egoism; Marketer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3515-5

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