Contemporary Consumer & Business Ethics
Dr Neil Connon
Milan 3-6 May, 2010
Handout 1 - Actors Needs and influences
“One of the few common denominators between all of us, despite our differences,
is that, above all we are consumers. That is, we use or consume on a regular
basis, food clothing, shelter, transportation, services, even ideas. As consumers,
we play a vital role in the health of the economy - local, national and
international. The decisions we make concerning our consumption behaviour
affect the demand for basic raw materials, for transportation, for production, for
banking; they affect the employment of workers and deployment of resources,
the success of some industries and the failure of others. Thus, consumer
behaviour is an integral factor in the ebbs and flows of all business in a consumer
orientated society such as ours.”
Schiffman LG and Kanuk LL, 1994, Consumer Behaviour, 5th ed, Prentice Hall,
p6/7
Sales
Publicity
Consumer
Organisations
Action
Information
stimulus to
Action
safety
Pressure
for change
info.
Goods &
services
Consumers
choice
sales
Business
protection
Money
profits
Accountability
Education
Information
Advice
Other Services
Votes
stability
Individual Welfare
growth
Votes
Funding
Pressure
for change
Votes
Government
(National & EU)
National Economy
Stimulus for
newsworthy
topics
Information
Pressure
for change
Pressure
for change
Sales
Media
customer loyalty
Consumer Policy Actors: Needs and Influence/Pressure Flows