Code of (Guiding Principals) Conduct; (Marketing)

Forward

Please emphasize the word guide in this code of conduct to guide sales and marketing employees in the various countries where our organization does business. This code leans heavily on normative guidelines as a superstructure against which modification of specific behaviors occurs on a case-by-case basis. For example, an assertive posture in North America may be perfectly appropriate, wherein the same behavior in the Far East will yield bruised relationships. A self-modifying behavioral shift is both wanted and needed in this circumstance. For purposes of contrast, hiring child labor in Indonesia is altogether unwarranted (although possible), wherein the hiring of child labor in Bangladesh (particularly if folded in with considerations of appropriate effort, breaks, meals, safety, educational opportunity and the like) may be a charitable contribution.

Fortunately, despite the extent to which such a document defies empirical expression, we are nonetheless dealing (ultimately) with the human condition; and we will always be more alike than different. Cycling back to normative guidelines, one will notice an effort toward the guiding principles and standards that mankind tends to share. While even these abstractions may be buffeted somewhat differently, culture-to-culture, doing the right thing is always the responsibility of anyone representing our company. If there is ever any question as to what to do, please contact the multicultural manager through human resources.

All that said, a few guiding principles: honesty, fairness, transparency, do no harm, do your homework, do your best and treat others the way you would want to be treated. If one must err, err on the side of caution. Default positions further include being conservative, deferring to precedent, seniors and elders. If something becomes questionable, question it (HR’s multicultural manager). The Zoroastrians have a guiding principle that we can also incorporate: good thoughts, good words, good deeds.



Code of (Guiding Principals) Conduct

Abstractions

Differing cultures have differing positions on matters of individual morals, ethical and moral reasoning, human rights and organizational ethical climate. It is the individual representative’s responsibility to be as fully prepared walking in, to have reasonable expectations and an internal locus established guiding sensibility. Principles such as trust, integrity, respect, honesty, responsibility and privacy may have somewhat altering appearances, yet they tend to be universal. Understanding that reasoning and relativism may be authentically different from culture to culture, where bright lines exist, the company would rather lose the business than compromise, given the convenient excuse to do so. For the gray areas in between, where such question exists, an internal review will occur internally on a case-by-case basis.

When such distinctions occur, and best practices established, documentation will occur in kind, and filed both with the local and home office (to be reviewed, and possibly updated, every five years). Relationships where working together (disagreements, and particularly agreements) between our organization and the country in question should inform and guide appropriateness.



the Established Subjective

Our marketing concern will never knowingly offend anyone. Indeed, we will go out of our way to ensure that never happens. Consistent with this ethic, we will never knowingly participate in any deception, by claim or advertising. We also make a distinction between healthy margins and predatory pricing; always seeking the former, however, never at the expense of the latter.



Matters of Justice

• We will never leverage the lesser than; lesser regulations, societies of lesser development, etc. We will always side with human rights (and wherever possible, will contribute charitably, as any good neighbor should).

• Everything we do is a promise of improvement. In some form, fashion, or another we will always seek to accentuate the positive, decrease the negative and otherwise leave a place / situation better than it was.

• Anything that may ever be construed as less than positive, a "mess", once brought to the attention of management, will be wholly owned and cleaned up; as our responsibility would dictate.

• We will shun institutions associated with the unsafe, working environments, products, etc.

• We will never leverage any political entity to unfair advantage. However, we will be friendly with our friends; seeking increased trade and an even playing field for all.

• We will seek to grow our business entity ever more environmentally friendly. To this end an annual report will be made available to the public.

• We do not participate in bribery. Where this dynamic occurs in other cultures, we will seek to emulate best practices so as to both honor that culture's perspective and maintain our own integrity.



Miscellaneous

Our marketing concern views these guiding principles as inherent to the fabric of our creativity. The overall spirit of who we are and of what we produce will naturally reflect our benchmark standards for excellence. This diplomatic high road will be one among our most distinguishing assets, and the calling underlying our branding.

References

American Marketing Association. (2005). the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) code of conduct . In the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) code of conduct . Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marketingpower.com%2FCareers%2FDocuments%2FPCM%2520Application%2520Kit.pdf&ei=BMHnTOmZNsb_lgeM67i7Cw&usg=AFQjCNE3pngME_hdEkQOvKxtYa1GErAsUQ&sig2=nvERiaEYNIr1OxzKaGWEwg

Bourget , D., & Chalmers , D. (Eds.). (2010). philpapers. Retrieved from http://philpapers.org/rec/BOREIO

DJOglobal SALES & MARKETING CODE OF CONDUCT. (2009). In SALES & MARKETING CODE OF CONDUCT. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=5&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.empi.com%2Fuploadedfiles%2Fabout_empi%2FMarketing%2520Code%2520of%2520Conduct.pdf&ei=q6PnTP7zGcT_lgeBotH1Cw&usg=AFQjCNGEi-JGnkx8Ie8gs-nWZ9rND9UJcw&sig2=9VLOTDvHY73H2R9Ugd-QtQ

Rallapalli, K. C. (1999). A Paradigm for Development and Promulgation of a GlobalCode of Marketing Ethics. Retrieved from Journal of Business Ethics: http://www.springerlink.com/content/w783265523872h20/fulltext.pdf

Usunier, J., & Lee, J. A. (2005). Marketing Across Cultures (4th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited.

Word of Mouth Marketing Association . (2009). Ethics Code. In Ethics Code. Retrieved from http://womma.org/ethics/code/

World Health Organization. (1981). WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. In International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Retrieved from www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf