Factors Influencing Ethics of Marketing Decisions in Lithuanian Media

Abstract

Marketing as a powerful instrument is used differently in practice, the way of using depends on the purposes. But the experience shows that the ways of achieving the purposes or even the purposes themselves are not always ethical, do not always satisfy the true values of society. Cultural, historical, experience differences between countries determine different understanding and development of values. Although ethical questions are topical in all countries, as a bigger problem it remains in the transitional countries, in which the worth and the traditions of using them in every day and business situations are still in process. Although Lithuania already exited from the status of transitional country in economic and political senses, it will stay for a while in this status because of transitioning in values. Marketing ethics is rather widely researched in world dimension. The most salient researches in marketing ethics are Th. W. Dunfee, N .C. Smith, W. T. Ross (1999), O. C. Ferrel (2001, 2002), Ph. Kotler (1993, 1999), G. R. Laczniak (1990, 1993), F. W. Landgrehr (1994), E. J. McCarthy (1993),E. J. McCarthy and W. D. Perreault (1990), P. E. Murphy and G. R. Laczniak (1992), J. Nantel and A. W. Weeks (1996), B. B .Schlegelmich (1998, 2001), D. B. Tinsley (2003), and others. Business, marketing ethics were researched by Lithuanian authors as well. A conception of social ethical marketing in a view of ecology was examined by V. Tamuliene (2002), V. Liesionis (2006). Business ethics like phenomenon existing between Lithuanian businessmen was researched by A. Paulaviciute (2004). Problematics of business and marketing ethics also was researched by N. Vasiljeviene (2000), G. Berzinskas (2002), V. Pruskus (1997, 1998, 2003), D. Vysniauskiene and V. Kundrotas (1999), R. Freitakiene (2001) and others. Although researches in marketing, business ethics both in Lithuania and abroad are comparing numerous, situation in practice of marketing ethics essentially is not getting better. The researches of some authors show that a