Two undergraduate students from Loyola Marymount University received the Emmons Award as the overall winner at the 2011 Intercollegiate Business Ethics Case Competition (IBECC) in Bellevue, Washington.
The team of Sarah Carratt and Megan O’Malley outperformed 15 other teams from some of the top universities in the world, including international business school INSEAD and Oxford University. Their presentation examined the harmful side effects and ethical issues associated with the use of triclosan in toothpaste.
Teams in the competition were asked to research a contemporary issue in business ethics of their own choosing and prepare a 20- to 30-minute presentation, which they presented to a panel of judges. Teams had to explain the legal, financial and ethical dimensions of their problem, and propose a solution. Judges then questioned the teams for another 20 minutes, and gave them feedback on their performance.
Senior honors economics major Megan O’Malley is thankful for the skills, knowledge and confidence she’s gained from participating in the competition. Teammate Sarah Carratt also recognizes the importance of the competition – it’s not about winning and losing, it’s about developing ethical leaders of tomorrow.
“The ethical knowledge I’ve obtained through this competition has prepared me for when I enter the workforce. Not only am I more aware of ethical concerns, but I know how to deal with them and talk about them, and know what problems to look for and how to address them,” said Carratt, a junior honors biology major who hopes to enter the medical field after graduating from LMU.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Megan and Sarah for winning such a highly competitive event,” said Professor Thomas White, the Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Business Ethics and director of the Center for Ethics and Business at LMU. “Their months of preparation, hard work and dedication represent the best of LMU.”
Created by Professor White at LMU in 1996, the competition has grown to become the most recognized international business ethics competition. It now takes place at the annual conference of the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. IBECC is a joint partnership between LMU’s Center for Ethics and Business, the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, in Minneapolis, Minn., and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. This year’s sponsors included Ernst & Young, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, Meggitt PLC, Raytheon, Wells Fargo, General Mills and United Health Group.
