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Anomie and the Marketing Function: The Role of Control Mechanisms

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An Erratum to this article was published on 19 September 2008

Abstract

The authors use the theoretical notion of anomie to examine the impact of top management’s control mechanisms on the environment of the marketing function. Based on a literature review and in-depth field interviews with marketing managers in diverse industries, a conceptual model is proposed that incorporates the two managerial control mechanisms, viz. output and process control, and relates their distinctive influence to anomie in the marketing function. Three contingency variables, i.e., resource scarcity, power, and ethics codification, are proposed to moderate the relationship between control mechanisms and anomie. The authors also argue for the link between anomic environments and the propensity of unethical marketing practices to occur. Theoretical and managerial implications of the proposed conceptual model are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, U.S.A.

    Amit Saini & Mike Krush

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  1. Amit Saini
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  2. Mike Krush
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Correspondence to Amit Saini.

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An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9919-5

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Saini, A., Krush, M. Anomie and the Marketing Function: The Role of Control Mechanisms. J Bus Ethics 83, 845–862 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9660-5

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