The Importance Of Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics focuses on the integrity of the moral actor/person rather than on the moral act/ behaviour(Trevino & Nelson, 2011). Thus, it focuses on the characters, motivations, and integrity of a person. In terms of ethical purity, intention is the most difficult to evaluate because it requires understanding of the internal motivation behind a company‟s actions or policy (Laczniak & Murphy, 2006). Virtue ethics is especially useful for somebody who works within a professional community that has developed high standards of ethical conduct for the community members (Trevino & Nelson, 2011) an ethical business must pay attention to both business performance, as well as the impact of the business activities on the wider community. Virtue ethics

Adults may choose to smoke, even if they are well-informed about the dangers of cigarettes. They may smoke for various reasons such as to alleviate anxiety, combat weight gain or simply for pleasure. In most contexts, adults are permitted to make harmful choices that are primarily self-regarding (Thomas & Gostin, 2013). Nevertheless, as moral agents, individuals have the responsibility to maintain and protect others‟ well-being. Cigarettes are not only harmful to active smokers but also passive smokers. In Indonesia it has been estimated that 78 per cent of children aged 13-15 are exposed to second hand smoke in public places and 69 per cent are exposed to second hand smoke at home (tobacco-free kids 2013). Once more, the marketing of harmful products such as tobacco does not comply with the principles of virtue ethics. The ethical implications of marketing campaigns directed at well-informed customers are different to those targeted at children, who may not be able to make well-informed decisions, and who may not understand the persuasive content of advertising (McNeal, 1992; Nicholls & Cullen, 1994). Tobacco companies tend to design marketing strategies which are aimed at young potential smokers, targeting them not only with pro-tobacco messages, but also with sales promotional features (King & Siegel, 1999; Pucci & Siegel, 1999a; 1999b). In order to reduce children‟s exposure to tobacco marketing campaigns, the Indonesian government advises that tobacco advertising on TV and radio is restricted to the hours between 21:30 and 05:00 local time (Tobacco-free Kids, 2008). Despite this restriction, children are still exposed to aggressive tobacco advertisements on street billboards or during sporting events and music concerts. Children may also see cigarette logos during the sporting events and music concerts, which are broadcasted by television outside the restricted hours. According to a survey conducted by Indonesian