John Michael Smythe owns a small marketing research firm in Cleveland, Ohio, which employs 75 people. Most employees are the sole breadwinners in their families. John's firm has not fared well for the past two years and is on the verge of bankruptcy. The company recently surveyed over 2,500 people in Ohio about new-car purchase plans for the Ohio Department of Economic Development.

Because the study identified many hot prospects for new cars, a car dealer has offered John $8,000 for the names and phone numbers of people saying they are "likely" or "very likely" to buy a new car within the next 12 months. John needs the money to avoid laying off a number of employees.

Questions

1. Should John Smythe sell the names?

2. Does the AMA Statement of Ethics address this issue? Go to [www. marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/Statement of Ethics.aspx]. Then write a brief paragraph on what the AMA Statement of Ethics contains that relates to John Smythe's dilemma.