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Essentials of Marketing & Ethics in Global Business - MAN00091M

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  • Department: The York Management School
  • Credit value: 15 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Online Teaching Period 3 2023-24

Module aims

This module aims to study ethical marketing and decision-making in international settings. It aims to develop students’ capacity to learn and engage with:

  • the need to build up long-term, sustainable relationships with customers and various stakeholder groups in an age of increasing media specialisation and criticism of the marketing discipline.
  • the role of marketing ethics in the maintenance of a coherent and consistent image of an organisation and their influence on consumer behaviour on a global level
  • the various tools of marketing and ethics and how they can be used to change consumer behaviour and enhance sustainability in a global environment
  • the ethics of global marketing communications and the opportunities and challenges of communicating brand images and corporate values across national, linguistic and cultural borders.

Module learning outcomes

Academic and graduate skills:

  • Critically apply ethical marketing concepts to a range of organisational types to enhance decision making.
  • Critique, select and apply global marketing and ethics theories and concepts to write a concise academic report.
  • Develop knowledge and a critical understanding of the need for individuals and organisations to manage marketing responsibly and sustainably and behave ethically in relation to social, cultural, economic and environmental issues in domestic and International contexts.

Other learning outcomes (if applicable)

  • Ability to write a concise fully referenced academic report using relevant library resources.
  • Demonstrate ability to work independently, set goals, and complete tasks within deadlines.
  • Produce logical and structured arguments supported by relevant evidence.
  • Self-awareness and sensitivity to diversity in terms of people, culture and ethics in a global marketing context.

Module content

Subject content

  • Critical understanding of the underlying theories and concepts that inform perspectives adopted in approaching ethical issues and problems in marketing within the global environment
  • Critical awareness of the changing ethical, social and environmental context of marketing
  • A systematic understanding and comprehensive knowledge of how marketing decisions are influenced by various stakeholders and the ethics of marketing in an global context
  • The strategic implications of ethical marketing and its contributions to achieving organisational and social goals.

Topics to be covered include:

  • Fundamentals of global Marketing: marketing and society.
  • Ethics theory and decision making in the global context.
  • Sustainability and social marketing
  • Market research and ethics
  • Segmentation and ethics in a global context
  • Consumer perspectives and the role of marketing in creating meaning
  • Ethics and the global marketing mix
  • Ethics in marketing communications; marketing communications across national, linguistic and cultural borders.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Students will receive regular feedback on formative weekly activities and on the formative assessment. They will also receive a feedback sheet with detailed comments on the summative assessment explaining how they performed in relation to the assessment criteria. Turnaround time for summative assessment is 4 weeks. At the end of term, the module leader will develop a report about the module and the students’ performance which, once approved by the Board of Exams, will be uploaded onto VLE and made accessible to students.

Indicative reading

Indicative Texts:

Hollensen, S. (2017), Global Marketing. Pearson.

Eagle, L. & Dahl, S. (2015), Marketing Ethics & Society, Sage.

Crane. A & Matten. D (2016), Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization. Oxford University Press.

Other indicative supplementary texts:

Belch, G. E and Belch, M. A. (2009), Advertising and Promotion: An integrated Marketing Communications Perspective. McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Ghauri, P., Philip and Cateora, P. (2010), International Marketing. McGraw Hill.

Murphy, P. E., Laczniak, G. R. and Prothero, A. (2012), Ethics in Marketing: International Cases and Perspectives. Routledge.

Usunier, J. C. and Julie, A. L. (2012), Marketing Across Cultures. Prentice Hall, Harlow.

Useful Journals:

Journal of Business Ethics

Journal of Marketing and Public Policy

Journal of Macro-Marketing

Journal of International Marketing

International Marketing Review

Journal of Public Relations Research

Journal of Advertising

Journal of Advertising Research

International Journal of Advertising

Journal of Marketing Communications

Corporate Communications: An International Journal

Journal of Brand Management



The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.