Answer:
The factors influencing salespersons’ ethical decision making are the following ones:
1) Individual factors
- gender (only in specific managerial situations)
- age (younger people believe that some behaviors are ethical, while older people do not)
- education (it does not have a direct impact)
- job tenure and Background (professional standards and values are the ones that influence the most)
- individual ethical values (the salesperson has a value system different to the one the customer has, and they establish a moral interaction)
- cognitive moral development (it provides reason to justify actions; when people are at a different stage in development, they make different decisions)
2) Organizational factors
- Supervisory Style (a lower performance results in punishment)
- Ethical climate (when the organization has more employees, more critical judgment about the practices will be made)
- The social network (the relationship between salespersons to make ethical decisions jointly)
To develop a personal code of ethics, first, one has to identify values and possible responses to difficult situations. Then, when an opportunity arises, apply such behaviors and modify them if necessary.
