Investigating the Relationship Between Corporate Values and Practices of Marketing Organizations and Internet Ethics: An Exploratory Study

While marketing on the Internet continues to grow at a rapid rate, there has been much criticism, controversy and debate over how organizations use or misuse this new medium. Concurrently, many organizations have recognized the importance of ethical decision-making in their corporate value system. Do these corporate values and ethical practices have any impact on marketers’ perceptions toward Internet ethics and/or regulation? This study attempts to answer this question by surveying a sample of advertising and marketing practitioners (n = 292). Results show that, although there is concern about the ethical and regulatory issues surrounding the Internet, little evidence exists that these concerns have been incorporated into the overall value system and practices of organizations. Implications for practitioners and discussion of future research avenues are provided.