Abstract
Despite the popularity of multi-level marketing (MLM) companies and their ability to attract many distributors worldwide with the promise of an income opportunity, the financial outcomes for these participants are often unfavorable. Many distributors invest more money in internal products and business expenses than they earn. Drawing upon the professional and business ethics literature, this paper develops a conceptual framework to understand how organizational characteristics (collectively) create a pressure on distributors to overspend on internal products. The framework integrates legal, financial, and social dimensions, emphasizing the dual roles of MLM distributors as both victims and potential offenders. Utilizing this framework, the paper discusses the limited effectiveness of current safeguard policies in preventing the problematic effects of the MLM industry, including the operation of some MLMs as pyramid schemes. It proposes new directions for research on MLMs and other distinct areas within marketing and public policy, particularly addressing the broader category of deceptive income opportunity providers (DIOPs).
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