Because of a significant increase in Covid infections in the Boston area connected with the XBB.1.5 variant and the uncertainly about where things will be in April, the 2023 International Business Ethics Case Competition will again be held online. The World Health Organization regards this as “the most transmissible” omicron variant to date. Even people who have had Covid can be reinfected. Nationwide, this variant currently accounts for about 40% of infections, but in the northeast, it’s more than 70%. We haven’t seen evidence to suggest that this variant leads to more severe illness. However, even so-called “mild” cases can be serious, and there is still the risk of “long covid,” which continues to be a not inconsequential danger.
We are, of course, disappointed that IBECC will not be in-person. It’s certainly possible that we will have been overly-cautious. But, especially for an ethics event, we take the principle of “do no harm” very seriously—especially since everything from international travel to older and immunocompromised participants (both students and judges) carries a variety of risks that we felt obligated to respect.
We have begun looking at ways to make the online experience educationally richer. Also, we are increasing the amount of prize money we award to $20,000. Please check back for details. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ibecc.net.