THE COMPETITIONS
IBECC consists of three separate, required competitions: a full presentation followed by Q&A and feedback; a 10-minute presentation and a 90-second presentation, plus two optional contests: an academic/athletic biathlon and an essay competition. Teams select their own topic.
Full Presentation
Students put together teams of 3 to 5 members and select an appropriate case. Each team prepares a presentation in which students explain the legal, financial and ethical dimensions of the problem. They then recommend a solution that must pass muster on all three counts. Presentations should last roughly 25 minutes (you will have a 5 minute grace period) and are judged largely by professional corporate ethics and compliance officers.Teams are questioned for an additional 20 to 30 minutes by the judges, who then give the teams feedback on their performance. The idea of the exercise is to help students see that it is possible to do business profitably while at the same time act ethically.The format that works best is for a team to think of itself as either an internal or outside consulting group that has been asked by senior management or the Board to analyze the problem and propose a solution.
Ten minute presentation
This presentation focuses solely on the ethical issues and is given by two or three members of the team. We recommend that teams imagine that this presentation is the result of being called back after their full presentation in order to give a shorter presentation strictly about the ethical issues. There is no Q&A.
Ninety second presentation
This presentation also focuses solely on the ethical issues and is given by one member of the team. We recommend that the speaker imagine that he or she is now an employee at the company and they are at a meeting where people are discussing their topic. However, no one has touched on any of the ethical issues. In 90 seconds, explain to the rest of the people around the table why there are important ethical issues that need to be addressed.