Tippie undergraduate students Matt Hubbell and Molly Monroe took fifth place in this year’s Eller Ethics Case Competition, an annual event that challenges students to analyze a timely ethical case with real-world business relevance.  

Hubbell, an economics major and philosophy minor, and Monroe, an economics major, received the ethics case two weeks before the competition, and they worked with Frank Business Communication Center staff to hone their presentation.

This year’s case study involved an engineering firm with high-profile clients that are hacked and whose information is compromised. Teams were asked to assume an identity, such as company employees or consultants, and present to a particular audience, such as company executives or board of directors.

Monroe says the team presented a more business-centered approach regarding the ethical dilemma in focusing on the company’s stakeholders and value statement. She says they also relied on Immanuel Kant’s core concepts of respecting individual rights and the categorical imperative in shaping their argument.

The team also won the Stephanie Chance Bright Line Award, which offers a forum for students to dig deeper into the ethical issues in essay form.

Twenty-five schools from the United States, Canada, and Mexico participated in the event held at the University of Arizona.