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Is There a Special E-Commerce Ethics?

Author

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  • Kracher, Beverly
  • Corritore, Cynthia L.

Abstract

The speed and degree to which e-commerce is infiltrating the very fabric of our society, faster and more pervasively than any other entity in history, makes an examination of its ethical dimensions critical. Though ethical lag has heretofore hindered our explorations of e-commerce ethics, it is now time to identify and confront them. In this paper we define e-commerce and describe the characteristics that set it apart from traditional brick and-mortar business. We then examine the ethical foundation of e-commerce, focusing on the question, “Is there a special e-commerce ethics?” Our answer is “no.” We support our answer by showing that the current issues in e-commerce ethics and brick-and-mortar business are fundamentally the same, but that e-commerce issues have different manifestations and scope. We then demonstrate that ethical principles and rules in e-commerce and brick-and-mortar business are fundamentally the same, but have different manifestations at the most specific level. We elucidate this point by discussing the use of personal information and the opt-in, opt-out debate. We conclude with a call for research on trust, a key value in the success of e-commerce.

Suggested Citation

  • Kracher, Beverly & Corritore, Cynthia L., 2004. "Is There a Special E-Commerce Ethics?," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 71-94, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:14:y:2004:i:01:p:71-94_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Norberg, Peter, 2004. "Financial Mentality beyond Good and Evil," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Business Administration 2004:12, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 31 Oct 2005.
    2. Kirsten Martin, 2008. "Internet Technologies in China: Insights on the Morally Important Influence of Managers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(3), pages 489-501, December.
    3. Norberg, Peter, 2005. "Mentalité financière par-delà bien et mal - des marchés amoraux," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Business Administration 2005:9, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 23 Sep 2005.
    4. Livia Levine, 2019. "Digital Trust and Cooperation with an Integrative Digital Social Contract," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 393-407, December.
    5. J. Tuomas Harviainen & Janne Paavilainen & Elina Koskinen, 2020. "Ayn Rand’s Objectivist Ethics Applied to Video Game Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(4), pages 761-774, December.
    6. Nadeem, Waqar & Al-Imamy, Saifeddin, 2020. "Do ethics drive value co-creation on digital sharing economy platforms?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    7. Gomaa Agag, 2019. "E-commerce Ethics and Its Impact on Buyer Repurchase Intentions and Loyalty: An Empirical Study of Small and Medium Egyptian Businesses," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(2), pages 389-410, January.
    8. Bodo Schlegelmilch & Magdalena Öberseder, 2010. "Half a Century of Marketing Ethics: Shifting Perspectives and Emerging Trends," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Nick Hajli, 2018. "Ethical Environment in the Online Communities by Information Credibility: A Social Media Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(4), pages 799-810, June.

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