Purchase Solution

Salespersons and Unethical Behavior

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Sometimes salespersons at Studio Production say or promise something to the customer that they unintentionally are unable to deliver. By doing so, a customer can perceive this as being unethical. The owners of Studio Production are concerned with these behaviors and the perception of their company. They have asked you to prepare a short presentation to share with everyone at Studio Productions on ethics. It should including the following:

Identify and explain the three main types of unethical behavior and provide an example of each.

Define and provide further explanation of the five variables that affect a salesperson's ability to be viewed as trustworthy by buyers. Explain which variable you feel is most important and why.

Explain the importance of trust in building ethically sound business relationships. Discuss why sales professionals are often stereotyped as being unethical and non-trustworthy and the importance of breaking this stereotype.

At Studio Productions, some of the work is outsourced and marked up to client, giving a small profit to the company. What are the ethical concerns this brings up and how will you, as a salesperson, handle it?

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary
Solution Preview

Identify and explain the three main types of unethical behavior and provide an example of each.

Deceptive Practices: Deceptive practices are just what they sound like. They take place when someone in the position of a seller acts unfairly to or deceives a buyer.

Examples:

1) False advertising and other misrepresentations - advertising and statements which have the tendency to mislead are illegal. These include:

a) actual false statement in advertisements about a products quality, ingredients, or effectiveness
b) fake testimonials and endorsements
c) pictures of the wrong merchandise in ads trying to sell some other item that imply the picture is of the item being sold
d) faked pictures of the product performing in a way that it cannot actually perform

(source: http://www.neighborhoodlaw.org/page/56503&cat_id=69)

Illegal Activities:Any activity which violates local, state, federal or international law.

Examples:

(a) production and distribution of illegal goods, such as banned drugs or pornographic material,
(b) production of illegal services, such as prostitution (in countries where this is illegal),
(c) production activities which are usually legal but which become illegal when carried out by unauthorized producers, such as unlicensed medical practices, unlicensed gambling activities, unlicensed production of alcohol and poaching, e.g. illegal fishing, hunting, tree cutting

(source: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/nationalaccount/AEG/papers/m4illegalActivities.pdf.)

Non Customer Oriented Behavior: This includes being pushy or hard selling, creating high pressure situations for the customers or fast talking. One classic and famous example will be the hard or pushy selling done by stockbrokers on Wall Street, who are considered to be the most aggressive salesperson in the world and can turn even a waste into a gold by their pushy selling. Films such as Boiler room have effectively portrays such pushy selling in movies and have thus created an aggressive image of such stockbrokers on wall street.

Define and provide further explanation of the five variables ...

Solution provided by:
Sandeep Bardia, MBA
Education
  • BCom, SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi
  • MBA, Rochester Institute of Technology
Recent Feedback
  • "Thank you. "
  • "Thank you"
  • "Thank you. I got 20/20 last week for my discussion you help me out with."
  • "Thank you. Great Job. "
  • "Thank you. Great Job. "
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
IPOs

This Quiz is compiled of questions that pertain to IPOs (Initial Public Offerings)

Cost Concepts: Analyzing Costs in Managerial Accounting

This quiz gives students the opportunity to assess their knowledge of cost concepts used in managerial accounting such as opportunity costs, marginal costs, relevant costs and the benefits and relationships that derive from them.

Managing the Older Worker

This quiz will let you know some of the basics of dealing with older workers. This is increasingly important for managers and human resource workers as many countries are facing an increase in older people in the workforce

Understanding Management

This quiz will help you understand the dimensions of employee diversity as well as how to manage a culturally diverse workforce.

Accounting: Statement of Cash flows

This quiz tests your knowledge of the components of the statements of cash flows and the methods used to determine cash flows.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Ethical Concerns for Salespersons

    Identify and explain the three main types of unethical behavior and provide an example of each. 2. Define and provide further explanation of the five variables that affect a salesperson's ability to be viewed as trustworthy by buyers.

  • sales training

    Third, sales training clarifies the behaviors that are not acceptable to the company and prevents unethical behavior. Fourth, sales training familiarizes the salesperson with the systems and equipment that is used for doing the sales job.

  • Gifts versus bribes

    Some data processing managers may accept meal vouchers, sports tickets, and other perks from computer salespersons. Is accepting such gifts ethical? Does it matter if the manager accepts the gifts but promises nothing in return? Why or why not?

  • SFL

    For instance, the HR might find a vertical structure in those departments where there are higher incidents of unethical behavior. On the other hand those departments that do not exhibit unethical behavior might have a team-based structure.

  • Becky Knauer Ethical Decision

    Preview below: Response to C: I agree that the type of behavior displayed by the owner is dangerous. If salespersons get tired of getting the Rolex watches, they may want something more expensive that the owner cannot provide.

  • A Luxurion Auto Employee Performance Evaluation

    This performance by the use of weights equally emphasizes outcomes, behavior and traits. There can be changes in the weights given to any of them if the employee or his supervisor requests a change and gives adequate reasons for these.

  • Ethics Surrounding the Lehman Brothers' Downfall

    The difference between illegal behavior and unethical behavior is that illegal behavior is one that violates the law. On the other hand an unethical behavior is one that is immoral.

  • Explanation of How Strategy Can Change Unethical Behavior

    "An effective organizational culture should encourage ethical behavior and discourage unethical behavior." (Sims, 1992).

  • Self-Interested Behavior vs. Unethical Behavior

    317462 Self-Interested Behavior vs. Unethical Behavior How does the principle of self-interested behavior and unethical behavior differ? I need about 150 words if possible.

View More Related Solutions