Paternalism In The Marketplace: Should A Salesman Be His Bu

At one extreme in the buyer-seller relationship is caveat emptor -- "let the buyer beware." At the other extreme is the practice of paternalism, the interference with a person's liberty of action justified by reasons referring exclusively to the welfare, good, or happiness of the pers...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business ethics 1988-05, Vol.7 (5), p.337
Main Authors: Ebejer, James M, Morden, Michael J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ethics
Paternalism
Personal selling
Salespeople
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:At one extreme in the buyer-seller relationship is caveat emptor -- "let the buyer beware." At the other extreme is the practice of paternalism, the interference with a person's liberty of action justified by reasons referring exclusively to the welfare, good, or happiness of the person being coerced. Between the extremes in the relationship between salespersons and customers lies a realistic professional ethic for sales referred to as "limited paternalism." Limited paternalism applies when an individual in a position of superior knowledge has an active duty to explain the consequences of a decision. The fatherlike individual does not make the decision for the other, but the consumer is protected from an uninformed decision that might be detrimental. Nearly all "hard sell" techniques would be considered unethical by this standard, as many salespersons intentionally keep information from consumers. Limited paternalism bases sales ethics on widely accepted standards of professionalism and is consistent with ordinary ethical assumptions.
ISSN:0167-4544
1573-0697