Modifying the Potter Box
Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:20:00 BST
Dr Loy Watley from Nebraska Wesleyan University was the latest external speaker at a FEGReG seminar on 13 April 2011.
The paper he presented recommends several modifications to The Potter Box, an ethical judgment tool used primarily in media ethics, as a way to increase the transparency of the ethical decision-making process. The modified Potter Box suggests that individuals examine the situation, consider the individuals affected by the decision, identify the moral duties owed to those individuals, and carefully weigh the conflicting duties. Exercising moral imagination, involving trusted others, and considering the potential precedential use of the decision can all help sharpen ethical judgment.
Loy commented after the seminar: "I appreciated the opportunity to present some ideas to a group that's interested in ethical decision-making. It was good to have such a lively discussion and constructive feedback."
Dr Watley has spent the past several months as an academic visitor at the Business School, pursuing his research interests and observing the way in which Huddersfield staff teach international marketing and business ethics. Dean of the School and FEGReG Director, Professor Chris Cowton, remarked: "It has been a real pleasure to have Loy with us and we really enjoyed the fruit of his research labours during the seminar. We wish Loy well as his work progresses and hope that he will keep in touch with his friends in FEGReG."
