Managing the wickedness of socially responsible marketing

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the wicked problems inherent in socially responsible marketing and to provide practical insights into their management.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies learning from three related conceptual areas (the Cynefin framework, complexity science and wicked problems) to think about sustainable marketing in new ways.

Findings

Sustainability challenges the effectiveness of traditional marketing thought and action. New and emerging approaches and tools in sense-making, complexity science and problem recognition are needed to help ensure the successful development and implementation of sustainable marketing.

Originality/value

Growing concern for so-called “wicked problems” appears in the literature of a number of disciplines in both the hard and soft sciences. Although the concept has appeared in the management and strategy literature, it is relatively unknown in marketing.

Citation

Fodness, D. (2015), "Managing the wickedness of socially responsible marketing", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 36 No. 5, pp. 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-07-2014-0077