When Frederick Taylor, the “father of scientific management” started to develop his management philosophy in the late nineteenth century, he was above all concerned about labor productivity in the manufacturing industry considering
exclusively the relationship between employer and employee. Even when he later admitted that in his theory he “overlook[ed] the third great party […] – the consumers” (Taylor 1911/1998: 72) he probably did not spend too much time thinking about marketing.
This is just what came to my mind when I read the title of the article “Scientific marketing management and the emergence of the ethical marketing concept” published in 2011 in the Journal of Marketing Management by Mark Tadajewski and D.G. Brian Jones. But is marketing really a science? And, aside from that, why are we
suddenly talking about ethics?
In Tadajewski and Jones’ article, which this paper is going to briefly summarize and comment on, we will find an answer on how to combine all three aspects - marketing, science, and ethics.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Is MARKETING A SCIENCE?
- Elaboration of the article "Scientific Marketing Management and the Emergence of the Ethical Concept" (Tadajewski & Jones 2011)
- By Nadine Ghanawi
- Submitted to:
- Global Marketing Strategies
- Universitat de Valencia
- Facultad d'Economia
- October 31: 2012
- When Frederick Taylor, the "father of scientific management" (Rosen 1993: 139):
- started to develop his management philosophy in the late nineteenth century, he was
- above all concerned about labor productivity in the manufacturing industry considering
- exclusively the relationship between employer and employee.
- Even when he later
- admitted that in his theory he "overlook[ed] the third great party — the consumers"
- (Taylor 1911/1998: 72) he probably did not spend too much time thinking about
- marketing.
- This is just What came to my mind when I read the title of the article
- "Scientific marketing management and the emergence of the ethical marketing concept"
- published in 2011 in the Journal of Marketing Management by Mark Tadajewski and
- D.G. Brian Jones.
- But is marketing really a science? And, aside from that, Why are we
- suddenly talking about ethics? In Tadajewski and Jones' article, which this paper is
- going to briefly summarize and comment on, we will find an answer on how to combine
- all three aspects - marketing, science, and ethics.
- The authors mainly base their article on the contributions to Scientific Marketing
- ascribed to Percival White, an engineer, mechanic and manufacturing business owner-
- manager (cf Tadajewski & Jones 2012: 41), as well as on the arising controversies
- between marketing scholars discussed in the Bulletin of the Taylor Society from 1914
- until 1934. Due to his academic background, White was obviously familiar With
- Taylor's philosophy and tried to adopt it to the marketing thought - indeed: as a rather
- non-typical pioneer contributor (cf Tadajewski & Jones 2012: 41).
- In simple words, the original Scientific Management theory assumes that there is always
- "one best way" for every worker to do his work (Tadajewski & Jones 2012: 42), and:
- being assigned a single "tailored" activity to fulfill: he or she might therefore not only
- be more motivated: but consequently more efficient in performing this activity Thus it
- is only a question of putting resources into the right place in order to obtain the best
- results.
- Similarly, White postulated to produce and distribute only, What is really needed
- - needed by the customer.
- He calls this "the objectivity of demand" (White 1927a: 97)
- In order to determine the demand, a scientific: hence a systematic, methodic and
- "knowledge-generating" market research approach becomes necessary, which includes
- economic, statistical and psychological analysis (cf. White 1926b 3). This research,
- in turn, has to be carried out by a diligently selected person that has been trained for this
- specific purpose: and all achievements have to be appropriately tracked and documented
- (by no later than now, the meaning of Scientific Marketing should be clear to the reader)
- The application of the scientific method as a whole reduces marketing cost and efforts:
- so called "marketing wastes", that are "economically and socially undesirable"
- (Tadajewski & Jones 2012: 42). As a result, the Scientific Marketing concept can be
- described as an ethical one, as it is, according to White, "the best for all concerned"
- (White 1927 a: 99) employer: employees and customers
- Despite the fact that ethical business practices and social corporate responsibility issues
- play an increasingly important role in nowadays business (cf. Tadajewski & Jones 2012:
- 54), the aspect of marketing ethics is not elucidated in very detail by Tadajewski &
- Jones.
- However, as it is also one of the main critique points towards White's philosophy
- (cf. Cowan 1927) this aspect obviously further examination in my comment.
- Certainly, it cannot be denied that Scientific Marketing improves organizational
- effectiveness in terms of requiring a more systematic market research and demand
- planning, which mitigate merchandising and production risks (e.g. product failures).
- But
- if all this really happens With the only honest aim to satisfy the customer: following the
- "objectivity of demand"-principle, is another question.
- Rather, it is often assumed that
- most of the companies follow the traditional "economic method" and only strive for
- profit maximization - a deeply anchored economic factum that can be explained in a
- very simple way With the words of Adam Smith
- "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect
- our dinner, but from regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their
- humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of
- their advantages. (Smith 1776/1910: 13)
- So, Why does Scientific Marketing aim at customer satisfaction, and, impliedly included,
- retention?
- I believe because of the "loyalty effect": a 5% increase in customer retention
- can result into a 25-100% increase in profits (cf Reichheld 1996). Undoubtedly, this
- appears to be a very negative viewpoint; but even if we assumed: that a company counts
- With the moral sentiments of "sympathy", "generosity" and "public Spirit" hypothesized
- by Smith (cf. Smith 1790/1975 191) and is dedicating itself to its clients, this would
- lead to the second problem: how to know What the customer really "needs or ought to
- have"? (White 1927a: 99)
- This is a -I would say rather "modern"- problem of "real and false needs" (cf.
- Tadajewski 2010).
- Nowadays, it is not the consumer Who tells the company What he or
- she needs: but the media (or, in other words, the marketing function) tells them What
- they need.
- Do you really need a smartphone? And if you possess an iPhone 4S, do you
- really need to buy the iPhone 5?
- I am sure; your answer will be Yes, because if
- you do not have it, you might not achieve the social status you are expecting within our
- modem society Actually, in his philosophy of Scientific Marketing White uttered his
- dislike of "firms producing goods that offer no greater benefit to the customer than
- those already available" (Tadajewski & Jones 2011: 48) because he did not see fulfilled
- the objectivity of demand.
- Nowadays (lees continue With the iPhone example), if you
- ask consumers if they really need the new model of some high-tech product: they would
- assure you: that YES. There have been so many socio-demographic changes in
- consumption behavior over the last decades that Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- should be reconsidered - much less White's "objectivity of demand"
- To come back to the main question: can it be considered "ethical" to manipulate
- customers in their basic ways of thinking, even if, in doing so, you make them happy?
- Is
- it moral to make people think that it is necessary to buy expensive branded clothing:
- while production of those is outsourced to low-cost areas?
- In his work White described
- a perfectly utilitarian understanding of "morality", by referring to "the best for all
- concerned" (White 1927a: 98).
- However, utilitarianism is only one theory of thousands in
- philosophy (moreover, a quite controversial one) and cannot be the only justification for
- Scientific Marketing to be considered ethical; and secondly, White's consumption ideas
- are just too old to be able to be applied in a modern context
- Finally, can Marketing be considered to be a science?
- I believe, after having outlined that even the main principles of what is called Scientific Marketing can be challenged,
- marketing activities may in fact tend to be performed in a scientific way, but never be
- considered a science itself.
- Most importantly, the psychological variable makes a
- reliable forecast difficult.
- There are not only examples of companies that fail With their
- assumptions, e.g. in launching a product, even after meticulously having examined the
- market and customer demands.
- Also lots of socio-demographic, as well as economic,
- political, technological, legal or even ecological factors are steadily influencing and
- changing our society, consumption behavior, and — as a result — the Marketing thought
- Sources
- Cowan, S.D. (1927). Scientific marketing management: A review of Percival White's
- new book Bulletin of the Taylor Society: 12: 458—464
- Reichheld, F. (1996). The Loyalty Effect. Harvard Business School Press
- Rosen, E. (1993) Improving Public Sector Productivity: Concepts and Practice.
- California: Sage Publications
- Smith: A. (1776/1910). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.
- London: Dent
- Smith: A. (1790/1975). The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Tadajewski: M. & Jones, B. (2012). Scientific marketing management and the
- emergence of the ethical marketing concept. Journal of Marketing Management:
- 28:1-2: 37-61
- White, P. (1926b) Introduction.• Market analysis as a basis for advertising.
- In J.H. In J.H. Advertising: Its problems and methods (pp. 1—15). New York: D. Appleton.
- White, P. (1927a) Scientific marketing management: Its principles and methods. New
- York: Harper & Brothers.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte
Dieser Essay analysiert den Artikel "Scientific Marketing Management and the Emergence of the Ethical Marketing Concept" von Tadajewski & Jones (2011) und hinterfragt die Frage, ob Marketing tatsächlich eine Wissenschaft ist und wie sich ethische Aspekte in diesem Kontext einordnen lassen. Der Essay beleuchtet die Philosophie des Scientific Marketing, die auf Percival Whites Arbeiten basiert und die ursprüngliche Theorie des Scientific Managements von Frederick Taylor auf den Marketingbereich überträgt.
- Die Verbindung von Marketing, Wissenschaft und Ethik
- Die Philosophie des Scientific Marketing nach Percival White
- Die "Objektivität der Nachfrage" und ihre Relevanz im modernen Kontext
- Die ethischen Herausforderungen des Scientific Marketing
- Die Frage, ob Marketing als Wissenschaft betrachtet werden kann
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel
Der Essay beginnt mit einer kurzen Einführung in die Thematik und stellt die Frage, ob Marketing tatsächlich eine Wissenschaft ist und wie sich ethische Aspekte in diesem Kontext einordnen lassen. Anschließend wird die Philosophie des Scientific Marketing, die auf Percival Whites Arbeiten basiert, vorgestellt. White argumentierte, dass Marketing wissenschaftlich betrieben werden sollte, um die "Objektivität der Nachfrage" zu erfüllen, d.h. nur Produkte zu produzieren und zu vertreiben, die von den Kunden tatsächlich benötigt werden. Dazu sollten systematische Marktforschungsmethoden angewendet werden, um die Bedürfnisse der Kunden zu ermitteln.
Der Essay beleuchtet auch die ethischen Herausforderungen des Scientific Marketing. Obwohl White betonte, dass Scientific Marketing "das Beste für alle Beteiligten" sei, wird im Essay argumentiert, dass die Anwendung des Scientific Marketing im modernen Kontext zu ethischen Problemen führen kann. So wird beispielsweise die Frage aufgeworfen, ob es ethisch vertretbar ist, Kunden in ihren grundlegenden Denkweisen zu manipulieren, um ihnen Produkte zu verkaufen, die sie vielleicht nicht wirklich benötigen.
Schließlich wird die Frage diskutiert, ob Marketing als Wissenschaft betrachtet werden kann. Der Essay argumentiert, dass Marketing zwar wissenschaftliche Methoden anwenden kann, aber nicht als Wissenschaft im eigentlichen Sinne betrachtet werden kann. Dies liegt daran, dass die psychologische Variable die Prognosefähigkeit von Marketingaktivitäten erschwert. Außerdem beeinflussen zahlreiche soziodemografische, wirtschaftliche, politische, technologische, rechtliche und ökologische Faktoren das Konsumverhalten und damit auch das Marketingdenken.
Schlüsselwörter
Die Schlüsselwörter und Schwerpunktthemen des Textes umfassen Scientific Marketing, Marketing als Wissenschaft, ethische Aspekte im Marketing, Percival White, Frederick Taylor, Objektivität der Nachfrage, Kundenbedürfnisse, Konsumverhalten, Manipulation, Utilitarismus, moderne Herausforderungen im Marketing.
- Citar trabajo
- B.A. International Management Nadine Ghanawi (Autor), 2012, Is Marketing a Science? Scientific Marketing, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/204710
