A Comparison of Ethical Perspectives in Business in Turkish Ahilik Society and American Marketing Association

“Ahilik‖ is the name of a society which had played a crucial role on social, economic and cultural life of Anatolian people from 13th century to today. The ethical principles established by this society have had significant effects on commercial life in Turkish territories throughout history. The teachings of Ahilik can be found in ‗Futuvvetnames‘ which are the books that include basic moral rules and principles of commerce such as fellowship, helpfullness, honesty and tolerance. These set of principles are still significant in today‘s business life in Turkey. On the other hand, today‘s widespread ethical business principles in the world are mainly rooted in well-known marketing and business organizations. The Ethical Codes of American Marketing Association are one of the most well known ethical codes in current business terminology. The purpose of this study is to analyze the similarities and differences between the moral rules of ‗Ahilik‘ and ethical norms and values of American Marketing Association