Ethical Issues in Sales - 2420 Words

Ethical Issues in Sales: Two Case Studies Thomas L. Carson Ethical issues in sales are an important and neglected topic in business ethics. Roughly 9% of the U.S. work force is involved in sales of one sort or another. But very little has been written about ethical issues in sales. Case 1: Shoe sales [The following case is taken from a paper that I received from a student. I am using this case with the student’s permission. The student did not want me to use his/her name. I have made some minor stylistic and grammatical corrections, but otherwise, the description of this case is taken verbatim from the student’s paper.] My introduction to retail sales began at the age of seventeen in a small â€Å"stocks-to-suits† men’s store. The old-timers†¦show more content†¦The premiums seemed quite excessive to me and I was displeased with Blue Cross on other grounds (I had to fill out many forms in order to file claims and blue Cross was slow in paying claims). I told the benefits person that this was a lousy deal and that I thought I could do better for myself by going to a private insurance company. (I fear that I was rather rude to her.) I left the benefits office in state of agitation and walked off the campus where I saw a sign f or a Prudential Insurance agent. I walked into the office and met the agent, Mr. A. O. â€Å"Ed† Mokarem. I told him that I was looking for a one-year medical insurance policy to cover me during the period of the fellowship and that, for all of my unhappiness with Blue Cross of Virginia, I planned to resume this policy in a year when I returned to teaching. (The university provided this policy free of charge to all faculty who were teaching). He showed me a comparable Prudential policy which cost about half as much as the Blue Cross policy through the university. He took a good deal of time explaining the policy to me. I thought that it looked like a very good deal and I reasoned that the Prudential policy would probably involve less red tape in filing claims. I expressed considerable enthusiasm about the policy and asked him to fill out the forms so that I couldShow MoreRelatedSales Ethics Is an Oxymoron1567 Words   |  7 PagesIs Sales-Ethics an Oxymoron? Globalization highlighted the ethical issues and concerns for every individual organization, multinational organizational conduct their operations under ethical code of conduct to confine the issues faced by unethical conducts. Many organizations such as pharmaceutical firms, technological firms and financial firms pay more attentions to ethical behavior to ensure the sales to consumers have been impeccably ethical. However managers pay attention to behavioral ethicalRead MoreEthics Of The Health Care Industry995 Words   |  4 Pagesthe health care industry are one of the most important cornerstones of patient care. 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