dutywhere

Dutywhere is a neologistic concept used to describe the locus or context in which an obligation applies. It refers to the situational “where” of a duty, encompassing geographic, organizational, or situational contexts that determine when and to whom an obligation is owed. The term is not widely standardized and appears mainly in theoretical discussions of obligation localization and context-dependent duties.

Etymology and scope: The word combines duty with where to emphasize location or context as a determinant of obligation. It has been used in ethics, governance, and information systems to distinguish the obligation itself from the conditions that activate or assign it. As such, dutywhere helps analyze how duties are distributed across actors, places, and processes.

Applications: In corporate compliance, dutywhere can guide the assignment of tasks by routing responsibilities to the appropriate local team when a company operates across borders. In workflow and rule-based systems, dutywhere can trigger duties based on situational data such as user location, project stage, or jurisdiction. In moral philosophy and ethics, it can illuminate how obligations may differ depending on where an action takes place or where the responsible agent is situated.

Examples: A multinational firm uses dutywhere to assign regulatory reviews to regional legal departments when entering a new market. A disaster-response app assigns duties to responders based on their current location and jurisdiction.

Related concepts: jurisdiction, locus of obligation, obligation localization, governance, compliance.

Criticism: The term is still emergent and can be ambiguous, potentially conflating legal jurisdiction with moral or organizational duties. As usage grows, clearer definitions and standardization may accompany its adoption.