Ethics and responsibility in relationship marketing : The business school and the next generation of managers

Purpose – The role of ethical issues is growing in business and in society, but surprisingly, that role is sparsely examined in the relationship-marketing context. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework describing the fundamentals of ethical relationship marketing and analyses the content of six selected textbooks on the subject. Design/methodology/approach – The paper sheds light on ethics in a significant marketing sub-discipline, i.e. relationship marketing. Findings – The findings confirm previous findings from analyses of teaching material in marketing, indicating that ethical issues are superficially treated. None of the books has separate sections devoted to ethical issues. Key words selected to represent ethical issues are sparsely used. Research limitations/implications – There is considerable room for improvement if business schools are to prepare their students for the challenges in the future business world. Through the analysis of the textbook, and the recommendations, this study contributes to such improvement in one marketing discipline which is considered to represent a paradigm shift in marketing because it is fundamentally different from transaction-based marketing. Practical implications – The paper presents suggestions for how to encourage faculty and students to develop awareness about ethical relationship marketing, and recommends courses to improve learning about the subject. Originality/value – The framework of the fundamentals of ethical relationship marketing, a textbook analysis, and implications for business school faculty.