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About the Competition

CESR developed the Business Ethics Case Competition (BECC) to challenge undergraduate students to apply the ethical frameworks and business skills learned in Leeds classes to challenging real-world cases. The ethical dilemmas explored in the competition include real challenges facing our society today, each dealing with a complex web of stakeholder needs and interests and asking students to propose creative solutions that are feasible from an operational and financial standpoint.

BECC is an interactive way to deepen students’ understanding of the challenging dilemmas that business leaders face today. Teams analyze and propose solutions for a business case that they then present to a panel of judges from industry. 

How it works 

The competition consists of a preliminary and a final round. Four teams will advance to the final round. See the timeline for this year's competition above. 

2022 Topic

The 2022 BECC was also held virtually and featured a case about a company's response to the Corona Virus pandemic and whether or not organizations should mandate the vaccine or not.

2021 Topic

The 2021 BECC was held virtually for the first time and featured a case about a company’s response to the racial justice movement, pulling in themes of authenticity and accountability.

2020 Topic

The 2020 BECC focused on the moral and financial implications of a large tech company’s mobile application that collected mass amounts of data. This app was positioned as a VPN, but it was used to gather personal data from users without obtaining permission. In the preliminary round, teams focused on how to move forward with (or without) the app, while justifying their decision from a business perspective. In the final round,  teams were presented with a twist in the case, inviting them to consider the need for an independent body to oversee the internet industry and to implement principles for industry members to follow. Teams explored options for these industry-wide standards as well as the feasibility of enforcing them across many companies.

2019 Topic

In the 2019 BECC preliminary round, teams acted as fictional social enterprises tasked with solving the St. Louis food desert crisis. After pitching their ideas to solve the crisis, students continued to the final round of competition where they responded to an additional funding offer and proposed solutions for further growth of the enterprise. 

2018 Topic

The case for the 2018 BECC preliminary round focused on differing religions within the workplace. Â鶹ÒùÔº analyzed the culture clash within one investment group and weighed the factors that contributed to creating a work environment catered to the beliefs and comfort of all employees. In the final round, students tackled the issue of the growing waistline of the average American in regards to airline pricing models. Teams created recommendations for how the airline industry should compensate for the added fuel costs of passengers.

Resources

How to Win a Case Competition 

Competition Format