Ethics, The Actual Stake Of Restructuring The Trade Relations

This article explores the ethical binom promise-expectation specific to the relationship firm-consumer ,being built upon certain previous researches which discovered: significant changes in consumers’ values and life styles influencing the process of collectingin- formation about products; efforts carried out by com- panies in order to understand the present consumer’ requirements, to prioritize their requirements, co-operate with them to suggest priorities and enhance satisfaction; the growing manifestation of certain ethical attitudes of both companies and consumers. Not only did we ask ourselves why these ethical attitudes don’ t transform more rapidly or always in ethical behaviours in both cases but also what is actually happening at the level of the relationship between the two behaviours in the permanent pilot station which is the shop. As there is no field or activity which can be independent from ethics, the more it is available in case of marketing, the marketing function being excessively aimed at by the ethical criticism. Managerial ethics is strongly connected with social responsability, not identical , the latter becoming a corporate marketing strategy adopted by management who may no longer choose ethical indifference. As the sole existance of a code of ethical behaviour does not yet solve the problem, measures taken to clarify both monitoring and implementation procedures are growing, as well as the development level of the code and the way of supporting and adhering to this standard. Which is valid also in case of shops, as a connection point between thecitizen and the local community which is confrontingwith the challenge represented by the growing pressure with ethical connotations of customers’ expectations. It is important to mention that for some time the International Association for the Distributive Trade, AIDA Brussels oferrs the Trophy „The Victory of Ethics”. It is the industry and commerce responsability to properly communicate and ensure the comfort ofconsumers, building their trust. Consumers, to make decisions regarding their actions, go through perceptual and learning processes, and trying to harmonize their own desires with the moral behaviour which favours the well-being of the society gives them certain internal tensions. Despite the increase in ethical preocupations however ethical attitudes and preocupations of consumers are not always manifested in their actual behaviour . Our paper puts forward an understanding of the progress made in terms of effectiv ethical commitement at the organizational level and consumer level, trying to provide direction to further research of the common experience synthesized by the ethical binom promise-expectation, that will generate new knowledge.