International Journal of Business Ethics in Developing Economies

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Ethical Responsibilities of Brick and Mortar Retailers


Affiliations
1 Department of Commerce, University of Jammu, J&K, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Retailers have ethical responsibilities in their dealings with different stakeholders. All the stakeholders have expectations from retailers and the retailers in obligation to fulfil their expectations in an ethical manner. Retailers have ethical responsibility towards customers, employees, suppliers, financers, competitors, government, and the community as a whole. In fact, some researchers have conceptualised responsibilities of retailers but the in-depth empirical investigation has not yet done. The study empirically examines the ethical responsibilities of brick and mortar retailers towards various stakeholders. The data were obtained from 200 retailers through a self-designed schedule. The exploratory factor analysis extracted ten factors out of various variables representing ethical responsibilities of retailers towards different stakeholders. The results indicate that brick and mortar retailers are moderately ethical towards various stakeholders. The present study will be highly beneficial for the researchers, retailers, customers, regulatory bodies and policy makers for new insights and better regulation.

Keywords

Retailing Ethics Brick and Mortar, Retailers, Stakeholders, Customers, Ethical Responsibilities.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Abratt, R., Bendixen, M., & Drop, K. (1999). Ethical perceptions of South African retailers: Management and sales personnel. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 27(2), 91-105.

  • Berman, B., & Evans, J. R. (2007). Retail management (10th ed.). Prentice Hall of India Pvt Ltd., New Delhi, pp. 44

  • Burns, D. J., & Brady, J. T. (1996). Retail ethics as appraised by future business personnel in Malaysia and the United States. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 30(1), 195-217.

  • Dornoff, R. J., & Tankersley, C. B. (1976). Do retailers practice social-responsibility. Journal of Retailing, 51(4), 33-42.

  • Dubinsky, A. J., & Levy, M. (1985). Ethics in retailing: Perceptions of retail salespeople. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 13(1), 1-16.

  • Dubinsky, A. J., Nataraajan, R., & Huang, W. Y. (2004). The influence of moral philosophy on retail salespeople’s ethical perceptions. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 38(2), 297-319.

  • Fassin, Y. (2009). The stakeholder model refined. Journal of Business Ethics, 84(1), 113-135.

  • Hair, J. F., William, C. B., Barry, J. B., Ralph, E. A., & Ronald, L. T. (2009). Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.) Pearson Prentice Publishers, New Delhi.

  • Kaptein, M. (2008). Developing a measure of unethical behavior in the workplace: A stakeholder perspective. Journal of Management, 34(5), 978-1008.

  • Kujala, J. (2001). Analysing moral issues in stakeholder relations. Business Ethics: A European Review, 10(3), 233-247.

  • Kumar, R., & Barani, G. (2012). Appraisal relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in organized retailing at Bangalore City, India. Industrial Engineering Letters, 2(2), 61-70.

  • Kurt, G., & Hacioglu, G. (2010). Ethics as a customer perceived value driver in the context of online retailing. African Journal of Business Management, 4(5), 672.

  • Lavorata, L., & Pontier, S. (2005). The success of a retailer’s ethical policy: Focusing on local actions. Academy of Marketing Science Review, 1-9.

  • Levy, M., & Dubinsky, A. J. (1983). Identifying and addressing retail salespeople’s ethical problems: A method and application. Journal of Retailing, 59(1), 46-66.

  • Malhotra, N. K. (2008). Marketing research (5th ed.). Prentice-Hall of India Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.

  • Norris, D. G., & Gifford, J. B. (1988). Retail store managers’ and students’ perceptions of ethical retail practices: A comparative and longitudinal analysis (1976-1986). Journal of Business Ethics, 7(7), 515-524.

  • Román, S., & Cuestas, P. J. (2008). The perceptions of consumers regarding online retailers’ ethics and their relationship with consumers’ general internet expertise and word of mouth: A preliminary analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(4), 641-656.

  • Román, S., & Luis Munuera, J. (2005). Determinants and consequences of ethical behaviour: An empirical study of salespeople. European Journal of Marketing, 39(5/6), 473-495.

  • Román, S., & Ruiz, S. (2005). Relationship outcomes of perceived ethical sales behavior: The customer’s perspective. Journal of Business Research, 58(4), 439-445.

  • Sarma, N. N. (2007). Ethics in retailing-perception of management and sales personnel. Retrieved from http://dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/388/1/61-68.pdf), last accessed on October 1, 2017.

  • Sharma, B. R. (2015). Edifying retailer-wholesaler ethical relationship: A basis for good governance in retail sector. Journal of Commerce and Accounting Research, 4(3), 22-28.

  • Sharma, B. R. (2015). Regulatory bodies perceived retailing ethics. Journal of Supply Chain Management Systems, 4(4), 38-44.

  • Sharma, B. R., & Sharma, R. D. (2014). Exploring the impact of retailing ethics on customer satisfaction. Metamorphosis, 13(2), 13-21.

  • Sharma, R. D., & Sharma, B. R. (2009). Ethics in retailing: Perceptions of consumers. Saaransh: Journal of Management, 1, 43-55.

  • Sharma, R. D., & Sharma, B. R. (2011). Legal provisions and ethical values in retail sector: Study of convenience goods. Arash. A Journal of ISMDR, 1(1), 1-9.

  • Sharma, R. D., & Sharma, B. R. (2012). Legal and ethical orientation of Indian retailers. International Journal of Business Ethics in Developing Economies, 1(2), 24-31.

  • Sharma, R. D., & Sharma, B. R. (2013). Exploring retailer-manufacturer ethical relationships. Journal of Supply Chain Management Systems, 2(2), 19-23.

  • Whysall, P. (1998). Ethical relationships in retailing: Some cautionary tales. Business Ethics: A European Review, 7(2), 103-110.

  • Whysall, P. (2000). Addressing ethical issues in retailing: A stakeholder perspective. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 10(3), 305-318.

  • Whysall, P. (2000). Stakeholder mismanagement in retailing: A British perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 23(1), 19-28.

  • Yang, M. H., Lin, B., Chandlrees, N., & Chao, H. Y. (2009). The effect of perceived ethical performance of shopping websites on consumer trust. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 50(1), 15-24.


Abstract Views: 290

PDF Views: 0




  • Ethical Responsibilities of Brick and Mortar Retailers

Abstract Views: 290  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Bodh Raj Sharma
Department of Commerce, University of Jammu, J&K, India

Abstract


Retailers have ethical responsibilities in their dealings with different stakeholders. All the stakeholders have expectations from retailers and the retailers in obligation to fulfil their expectations in an ethical manner. Retailers have ethical responsibility towards customers, employees, suppliers, financers, competitors, government, and the community as a whole. In fact, some researchers have conceptualised responsibilities of retailers but the in-depth empirical investigation has not yet done. The study empirically examines the ethical responsibilities of brick and mortar retailers towards various stakeholders. The data were obtained from 200 retailers through a self-designed schedule. The exploratory factor analysis extracted ten factors out of various variables representing ethical responsibilities of retailers towards different stakeholders. The results indicate that brick and mortar retailers are moderately ethical towards various stakeholders. The present study will be highly beneficial for the researchers, retailers, customers, regulatory bodies and policy makers for new insights and better regulation.

Keywords


Retailing Ethics Brick and Mortar, Retailers, Stakeholders, Customers, Ethical Responsibilities.

References