Influencer Marketing: Developing a comprehensive model of professional ethics of social network influencers

Abstract

Purpose: This research aims to design and explain a comprehensive model in order to examine and express the considerations of professional ethics of social network influencers

Method: In terms of paradigm, this research is in the phase of exploring the interpretive model and in the phase of testing the positivist model, and it is practical in terms of its purpose. The research approach is mixed and the strategy used in that analysis is thematic. In order to analyze qualitative data, the method of Clark (2006) and MAXQDA2020 software were used.

The sampling method in the qualitative part is purposive, and the research population consisted of experts in the academic field, including faculty members and professors of marketing, ethics, philosophy, sociology, and marketing managers and consultants who have had direct communication with influencers, as well as bloggers and influencers themselves. A total of 14 experts were interviewed to collect qualitative data and obtain the main and sub-themes of the research. The research questionnaire was developed to collect quantitative data according to the standard method used in the design of the interpretive structural model and then, with the experts' input, their opinions regarding the relationships between the variables were applied. In this stage, 8 experts collaborated. To clarify the model and examine the interrelationships among the dimensions, the ISM software under Advanced Excel Version 3 was used. The factors were leveled, and the final model was drawn. And finally, in order to further analyze the data and obtain cause and effect relationships and the weight of each index, DANP and MATLAB software were used.

The results obtained from the research indicate that the main component of professional integrity with 5 factors and an importance percentage of 27.48, influential personal trustworthiness with 5 factors and an importance percentage of 25.05, green commitment with 4 factors and an importance percentage of 24.28, and respect for global values and beliefs with 4 factors and an importance percentage of 23.11 were identified as the most important criteria. Among the 18 sub-criteria, observance of workers' rights, abstaining from criminal acts, non-advertising of products tested on animals, fairness and justice, preservation of human dignity and values, and refraining from expressing sensitive issues in society were identified as the most important professional ethics sub-criteria for social media influencers, according to the experts. The weight of each criterion was determined.

The professional integrity dimension has the highest interaction and correlation with other dimensions, while the green commitment dimension has the lowest interaction and correlation with other dimensions. Additionally, the respect for global values and beliefs dimension was identified as the most influential dimension, and the dimensions of influential personal trustworthiness, professional integrity, and green commitment were identified as susceptible dimensions.

Key words: professional ethics, influencer, decision-making based on network analysis process (Danp method)