If the decision for John to sell the names was based solely on moral and ethics, I do not think he should sell the names. Those names were used for a privately run survey and for no other use. Although John's company is going under, it is clear that he is very torn on what to do. From John's perspective, if he releases the names to the car salesman, he receives $8,000 and will avoid laying off a number of employees. The car salesman also benefits because he receives a list of potential customers that may be looking to buy a car within the next year. This gives the car salesman an competitive advantage on other car dealerships because he has time to research and pin point what those potential customers will be looking for in a car. However, by John selling those names without consulting the participants from the survey, breaks the "embrace ethical values" listed in the AMA Statement. Embrace ethical values states "building relationships and enhancing consumer confidence in the integrity of marketing by affirming this core values: honestly, responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency and citizenship." John would be breaking more than one of those core values by going behind the backs of those customers, and selling their information to other corporations.
What would you do if you owned your own company and were put in the same situation as John? Would you sell the names or follow the AMA Statement of Ethics?
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