Title: An examination of ethical concerns related to doing business on the internet: a preliminary investigation of Turkish managers

Authors: A.E. Gegez, Beverly T. Venable

Addresses: Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Bahcelievler, Marmara University Istanbul 34590, Turkey. ' Department of Business Administration, Columbus State University, D. Abbott Turner College of Business, 4225 University Drive, Columbus, GA 31907, USA

Abstract: Despite the continued growth and scope of the internet, little has been done in the international business community to examine the perception of ethical issues associated with the pervasive use of this tool to solicit and communicate with potential customers (both individual and business). In this study, Turkish business executives (n = 148) were surveyed (via the internet) about their perceptions of the need for 1) regulation of the internet, and 2) the potential ethical issues associated with the use of the internet for marketing purposes. The results indicate that the lack of regulation of the internet, and safety concerns were considered by Turkish business leaders to be the major problems regarding current internet practices. The managerial implications of the study are discussed in response to the emerging concerns expressed by the respondents.

Keywords: ethics; e-business; electronic business; internet marketing; technology adoption; societal impact; governmental impact; organisational impact; codes of ethics; internet safety; Turkey; regulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIEM.2005.008757

International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management, 2005 Vol.3 No.4, pp.385 - 405

Published online: 21 Jan 2006 *

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