Selling Today: Partnering to Create Value, 14/e

Issues Challenging the Ethics of Salespeople

1. 3.2 Describe issues that challenge the ethical decision making of salespeople

In the field of personal selling, the temptation to maximize short-term gains by some type of unethical conduct is always present and occurs more often than in most other careers. Salespeople are especially vulnerable to unethical decision making, because they are subject to many temptations. These temptations are often motivated by offers from clients, competitors, company personnel, and suppliers, and may involve personal gain on the part of the salesperson. While attractive to one or more of the stakeholders associated with the sale in the short run, they serve as the basis for the destruction of long-term relationship, ...