Explorations in Taoist philosophy and marketing thought.

Abstract

Faced with the urgent need to expand marketing thought beyond Western-centrism, this thesis explores marketing theory in relation to a Taoist philosophical approach. The aims of this research are to open marketing thought to incorporate a deeper understanding of philosophical perspectives, provide a novel approach to examining the interaction between marketing and the contexts in which it takes place, and to support inter-cultural dialogue from a New Zealand-based research perspective. The work begins with a brief overview of the contemporary marketing studies environment before introducing Taoist philosophy. The research approach and methodology are then provided including scope, limitations, and potential contributions. The methods employed for this research are comparative-historical analysis and dialectical reasoning. A literature review on existing business research that features Taoist concepts is included to explore the extant literature on the topic. A review of the underlying philosophy of Western marketing thought is then provided to outline paradigmatic themes while addressing some of the key philosophical underpinnings adopted throughout the history of marketing thought. Finally, a dialectic between the two perspectives is put forward along with implications for practice and further research. Key topics addressed include self-concept, the role of marketing in broader systems (both natural and social), the aims and intentions of marketing as relating to the concept of the ‘good life’, and epistemology, with particular focus on methods of reasoning.