Publish or Perish and Innovative Teaching: Combining the Two to Explore Ethical Behaviors

Abstract

Marketing academics are increasingly challenged to publish quality research while maintaining strong teaching. This paper describes how two researchers integrated the gathering of sensitive consumer behavior data into a class role-playing exercise in ethics. First, a novel method of gathering sensitive data is proposed to study an unethical behavior many younger populations participate in deshopping, or unethical returning of store merchandise. The student-gathered snowball sampling technique is used as a class project to involve students in the uncovering of reasons shoppers give for participating in the act. Rationalizations for deshopping and motivations for abstaining from the behavior are gathered; students critically analyze and brainstorm these rationalizations later in class. Role-playing exercises where students take on the positions of unethical shopper, store manager, service desk employee, marketing executive, and ethical customer abstaining from the behavior are heatedly explored in class discussions. Ultimately, the process solicited valuable and unique data, and created an active learning class exercise in ethics, management, and marketing.