The Moral Philosophy of Sales Managers and its Influence on Ethical Decision Making

Sales managers' moral philosophies may be particularly important due to the influence these managers can have on the ethical climate of their sales organizations. Our study analyzed the moral philosophies of a national sample of sales managers in terms of differences between sales managers and other marketers, characteristics associated with differences in moral philosophies, and the effect of personal moral philosophy on ethical decision making.Findings indicated that sales managers' moral philosophies did not differ significantly from other marketers. The age and gender of sales managers were associated with differences in personal moral philosophies. Sales managers' moral philosophies were associated with their ethical judgments regarding potentially unethical sales practices.