“Mischief unmanaged”: Approaching ethics in qualitative business and management research with Harry Potter

With the help of an excerpt from J. K. Rowling’s novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, this case introduces students to ethical considerations in qualitative business and management research. In particular, it examines ethics in the context of qualitative data collection. In the excerpt, Rita Skeeter, the reporter of the wizard newspaper Daily Prophet interviews Harry Potter, a Triwizard Tournament champion. Using the Harry Potter story as a background, the case explores the ethical considerations and perspectives involved, and the role of reflexivity. Subsequently, students choose an ethical perspective and deliberate on the ethical considerations involved in a business scenario.