Cal Poly MBA Students are Finalists in National Ethics Competition

SAN LUIS OBISPO – A team of graduate students from Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business was awarded the Kerrigan Award as Runners-Up in Loyola Marymount University’s 10th annual National Intercollegiate Business Ethics Competition.

Part of the Business Ethics Fortnight, a multi-week program centered on facing real-life ethical challenges in the business world, students from around the globe competed for up to $2,000 and distinguished awards in business ethics.

Each team, consisting of between three and five students, presented legal, financial and ethical dimensions of a contemporary business problem. Judging was conducted by LMU staff and leading business professionals, based on overall persuasiveness of the presentation, and analysis and judgment that support profitability while maintaining high ethical standards.

This year more than 30 schools were selected to compete in the semi-final round in Los Angeles, including two international universities, McGill University, Canada and Middle East Technical University, Turkey. Other national schools included UCLA, University of San Francisco, United States Military Academy at West Point, Villanova University and the University of Michigan. Teams from five schools, including 3 undergraduate teams and 2 graduate teams advanced to the final round.

Cal Poly’s team was coached by Sean Martin, an alumnus of the Orfalea College of Business MBA program and member of a team that won this competition previously. This year’s team chose transparency in the organic food retail market as their ethical challenge.

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