In today's business environment, ethics are extremely important. In recent years, there have been numerous scandals and trials that stem from a lack of ethical judgment. For this reason, we are including an ethical exercise in every chapter. A brief scenario will present you with a situation in which the right thing to do may or may not be crystal clear, and you will need to decide the ethical way out of the dilemma. Rani Pharmaceuticals is the maker of several popular drugs used to treat high blood pressure and arthritis.
Over time, the company has developed a positive relationship with many of the patients who use its medications through a quarterly newsletter that offers all the latest information on new medical research findings and general health and fitness articles. The company has just been acquired by a group of investors who also own Soothing Waters Hot Tubs and Spas. The marketing director for Soothing Waters would like to use Rani's mailing list for a direct-mail promotion.
Questions
1. What should Rani Pharmaceuticals do?
2. Do you think it is ethical to use customer information across multiple divisions of the same company? Explain.
3. To which marketing management philosophy do you think the marketing director for Soothing Waters subscribes? Explain.