Managing Organizational Deviance - Assignment Example

?Introduction Ethics is important and insinuate proper behavior. The moral content of conduct is clearly portrayed by ethics. Behavior perceived to be ethical in business is mainly what society considers being right in such a context. The dilemma in business is that, if a certain moral code accepted widely was to be agreed upon, would it be applicable to most business activities? In every enterprise, there are various codes of ethics which include: the organization codes, professional codes, business involvement codes, and the advisory group codes among others. Even though most individuals doubt, sales and ethics can be compatible. However, for sales individuals and organizations, it can be a difficult process to make sales and revenue targets within ethical boundaries, especially in turbulent times. Companies gain competitive advantage when they strive in a significant and conscious way to conduct itself ethically. Ethics in an enterprise include sales people being honest, just and fair to all. Some individuals may perceive sales ethics as being an oxymoron or rather a contradiction depending on a number of factors including culture of the people, the product itself, way the product or service is produced and delivered to customers as well as the behavior of the sales persons. The factors listed above are varied across cultures, nations and every action has both benefits and costs, which may render sales ethics an oxymoron. However, sales ethics is not an oxymoron. In most cases, it is the behavior of a sales person, who connects the company and the customer (consumer) that largely contributes to the debate whether sales ethics is an oxymoron. If a sales person creates and sustains a relationship that is based on honesty, commitment and trust, then the customer will be a lifelong and sales become ethical. Reason why sales ethics is oxymoron First, nothing is perfect. At times, matters beyond control of the sales persons hamper him or her from delivering their value preposition. For example, if a sales person promises a customer that the product will be delivered in an hour’s time and it delays, the sales person will appear a cheat. But the delay may be occasion by traffic jam or breakdown among other genuine reasons. Secondly, goals of the sales person may make sales ethics a contradiction. This is true when a sales person is driven by temptation and greed in the sense that he or she wants to make more commissions at the expense of the value delivered to the customer. For example, if a sales person is fast-talking and extremely convincing, he or she often sells products to customers that have no value. According to Blocher (2008, 34), most adverts and sales persons do not reveal the complete story of products or services, which the buyer may not like. As a result, the customer purchases products or services that they do not need in the first place and they will feel cheated. Thirdly, sales persons may report inaccurate sales. In an enterprise there are various forms of rewards systems which include salary, promotions, and bonuses. Among the sales people, these systems are put in place based on their performance. However, it can result in employees being involved in unethical behavior. In order to attain sales targets employees may opt to use unethical practices such as using pressure and recording false sales. Lack of transparency may be costly to a company in the long run. It may spoil the sales, person credibility and interfere with sales (Thorne 2008, 224). Such unethical behaviors may become persistent leading to other unethical acts, which may drive company’s sales down significantly (Kidwell and Martin 2005, 44). Fourth, competition drives companies and their sales persons to act against good morals. Duska (2007, 90) attest that the perception that every business is in a competition, and focuses mainly on how to improve profits may conflict with the existing ethics. Competition may cause the sales persons to be dishonest and unfair in their dealings, especially when they encourage their customers to abandon competitors’ products by citing negative attributes of competitors’ products or services instead of dwelling on their own value preposition. Criticizing competitor and its products only devalues the sales person in the eyes of the customer. Fifth, ethics is a kin to submission. Some sales persons with egoistic sentiments, whose sole drive is temptation and greed for more commission and approval, perceive ethical behavior as submission issue and not a path to sustainable advantage. They are mostly concerned with own self interest and can do anything to achieve high sales including cheating or pressurizing people to buy Sixth, buyer does not have perfect knowledge about the product or services. In various situations customers may be treated unfairly because of susceptibility, lack of power and due to lack of knowledge. Susceptibility results from lack of proper knowledge which helps the concern parties to be involved in a fair trade. Powerlessness on the other hand arises as a result of inexistence of competition in the market. Lack of knowledge results in the absence of experience hence, the affected party cannot attain a fair deal. Seventh, bribery seemed to be the only way to get a sale deal. Sales personnel may be involved in various practices perceived to be unethical. They may give out bribes and kickbacks to secure a deal from an influential decision maker in an organization. This gives undue advantage to the seller and procurement rules, laws and regulation are placed in disrepute. Reasons why sales is not oxymoron Sales people are extremely important to both the producing company and the customer. They are the sales persons who decide whether to act straight or not. There are many reasons that disqualify sales ethics as being contradictory. First, most sales people have delivered their value preposition and few inefficient or ineffective sales persons should not splash mud on the sales activities. Committed sales persons walk the talk and do whatever they can to alleviate customers’ suffering before and after purchasing the product. They deliver appropriate products or services in correct quantities and high quality as agreed. Many times people have received goods or services within stipulated time. In addition, when the product is faulty, most customers have returned their money or have the product exchange for functioning one. Secondly, most products and services as well as actions and recommendations of sales persons conform to the laws of the land, policies of the company and laws (norms) of the community. Chief role of sales person is to deliver appropriate goods and services of right quality and quantity. Miller and Jentz (2009, 77) suggested that undertaking sales and its activities within legal and ethical tenets is the right thing to do. According to Jennings (2008, 4), ethical standards are generally acceptable and acknowledged norms or rules of behavior, which govern society. These values mostly are on display on the reception areas in most organizations and violation of these values can lead to terrible consequences. Most sales persons are fair in all their undertaking. They ensure that the products they sale and deliver to their client are free from harmful elements because they want customers to buy again in future. Sales persons are required to come up with products that are working and should not deceive or mislead customers intentionally. They should also observe honesty, fairness, respect, openness, and be responsible good citizens (Burrow, Dlabay, and Kleind 2011, 233). Furthermore, they ensure that they meet customer date lines, expectations and requirements. Ethical sales persons understand that customer satisfaction is gateway to achieving their own sales goals. Third, sales people have used respectable activities to increase their sales and sustain their growing market. These activities include differentiation on products, quality in their services, position of the market and the industry understanding. The noble sales activities have been married with trust between the selling party and the buying party. As a result, customers have become loyal, trusting and fulfilled. This assures sustained profitability and success in company’s sales in the long-term. In addition, most sales persons have offered excellent after sales services by traveling extra mile for a customer established value, which builds trust and dissipates worry and in the process exceed customer needs. Good sales persons have always subordinated their wants to needs of the customer and have demonstrated commitment to services. They come up with various ways of distributions that are convenient and cheap in order to make the products accessible to customers. They have also taken considerable time to explain their products to customers and truthfully respond to customer’s concerns. Consequently, they are liked and respected because they provide goods or services needed as promised. In addition, they earn customer’ respect, loyalty, honesty and long term beneficial relationship. Conclusion Sales ethics is not an oxymoron in most enterprises. It is true that making losses in a business entity is immoral this is because enterprise long-term financial viability determines their potential to support their staff, suppliers and even customers. However, business activities conducted in morally upright manner preserved business entity for a long time. The market and the morality can be put together to assure company’s sustainability (Evans et al 2004, 34). Different enterprises react differently to ethical issues concerned in relational sales procedure. However, it should remain in the mind of every sales person that it is his or her behavior that dictates whether sales ethics are preserved or not. To sum it all, the continued existence of business and several other benefits comes as a result of business generating money while maintaining good relations with all parties concerned. The beneficial results include customers gaining satisfaction and staff livelihoods being sustained. Such admirable outcome results from the enterprises pursuit to generate profits (Kelly 1999, 18). References Blocher, H. 2008. Advertising Ethics - An Oxymoron? Germany: GRIN Verlag. Dlabay, L., J. L. Burrow and B. Kleind. 2011. Principles of Business.USA: Cengage Learning. Duska, R. 2007. Contemporary reflections on business ethics. Netherlands: Springer. Evans, M., L. O'Malley, M. A. Patterson and M. Patterson. 2004. Exploring direct and relationship marketing. London: Cengage Learning EMEA. Jennings, M. 2008. Business Ethics: Case Studies and Selected Readings USA: Cengage Learning. Kelley, B.1999. Ethics at work. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd. Kidwell, R. and C. Martin. 2005. Managing organizational deviance. London: Sage. Kline, J. 2010. Ethics for International Business: Decision-Making in a Global Political Economy. UK: Taylor & Francis. Miller,R.and G. A. Jentz. 2009. Fundamentals of Business Law: Excerpted Cases. USA: Cengage Learning. Thorne, L. 2008.Word-of-mouth Advertising, Online and Off: How to Spark Buzz, Excitement, and Free Publicity for Your Business or Organization with Little Or No Money. USA: Atlantic Publishing Company. Read More