​Winners of IBE Student Essay Competition in Business Ethics 2018

The two winning essays of this year’s IBE Student Essay Competition in Business Ethics grapple with the ethical impact of innovation within the legal profession and the complexities of assumptions and privilege when examining stakeholder impact and corporate responsibility initiatives.

The IBE Student Essay Competition in Business Ethics celebrates the best student writing and thinking on business ethics. It aims to encourage student interest in business ethics and the integration of discussions on corporate responsibility into the core curricula of business schools.

Philippa Foster Back CBE, IBE’s Director said: “We have been very impressed by the challenging level of debate on ethical issues taking place in the UK’s Universities and Business Schools, and congratulate all those who entered, as well as the tutors who encouraged them. An ability to consider the ethical implications of business decisions is an essential skill for these students who we hope will become our future business leaders.”

The Postgraduate category was won by Firoza Dodhi from UCL Faculty of Laws for her essay Exploring the ethical issues of innovation in legal services.

Firoza said: "As a Future Trainee Solicitor at Simmons & Simmons, I am aware of the importance of managing innovative practices in accordance with ethical standards, to ensure the successful delivery of client-focused legal services. I am grateful to have been selected for this award; the integral nature of ethics in the legal industry requires consistent reflection and critical discourse. Being recognised by the IBE is a privilege; this award complements my scholarly pursuits and reaffirms my dedication to promote and practice business ethics in my professional career. "

The Undergraduate category was won by Nathalie Becker from the St Andrews University for her essay: Corporations in the ‘Postnational Constellation’: Applying a post-colonial lens to Corporate Social Responsibility practices in a global order.

Nathalie said: “Interdisciplinary is increasingly being recognised for its potential to unpack complex issues. In response, my essay draws on elements of History and International Relations theory to analyse corporate responsibility in a global context. I am very grateful to the Institute of Business Ethics for this award and for encouraging me to continue to foster these connections in the future.”

The winners were each awarded £1,000, thanks to a donation from the Gordon Cook Foundation.

ENDS/

For further information, contact Katherine Bradshaw, Head of Communications, 07771 517700 k.bradshaw@ibe.org.uk

About the Institute of Business Ethics

The Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) is a registered charity which promotes high standards of business behavior based on ethical values. We help organisations to strengthen their ethics culture through the sharing of knowledge and good practice.www.ibe.org.uk

About the winners

Undergraduate winner: Nathalie Becker, University of St Andrews

Corporations in the ‘Postnational Constellation’: Applying a post-colonial lens to Corporate Social Responsibility practices in a global order

Tutor: Dr Lucy Wishart

Postgraduate winner: Firoza Dodhi UCL Faculty of Laws

Exploring the ethical issues of innovation in legal services

Tutor: Professor Richard Moorhead

About the IBE Student Essay Competition Awards Ceremony
The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 18th October at 5pm, which also includes a presentation entitled: The Changing Face of Business Ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the digital age with Laura Spence, Professor of Business Ethics, Royal Holloway, University of London; Andrew Crane, Professor, Marketing, Business & Society, University of Bath; and Dr Sarah Glozer, Associate Professor, Marketing & Society, University of Bath.

The winners – both postgraduate and undergraduate – have been invited to present their essays and prizes will be awarded by Ivor Sutherland of the prize sponsors, Gordon Cook Foundation and Alan Murray, Professor, Department of Responsible Management and Leadership at the University of Winchester, lead judge for the awards.

More information and to register http://www.ibe.org.uk/forthcoming-events/56/48

About the IBE Student Essay Competition

The competition is in two categories – Undergraduate and Postgraduate. Submissions must be current work from students who are based at Higher Education Institutions in the UK

Submissions may be up to 2,500 words. These can be either a piece of work submitted as an assignment, or an original essay or case study. Group submissions can be made.

Essays are judged using the following criteria:

• Topicality – the extent to which the topic of the essay is subject to contemporary debate and relevance to ethical business practice

• Clarity of expression – the extent to which the essay is fluently written in accessible language, is coherently structured and uses a high standard of referencing

• Analysis - the extent to which the essay presents clear, well organised and well reasoned argument, judgment and opinion or conclusion, with relevant evidence, analysis, illustration, interpretation, evaluation, or application

• Use of theory and research – the extent to which the essay draws on appropriate academic literature and other data and relates it to the topic; and sets out and correctly employs relevant concepts

• Application to practice – the extent to which the essay addresses real-world challenges in business ethics and makes a contribution to the development of thinking and practice

The Lead Academic, Alan Murray, Professor, Department of Responsible Management and Leadership at the University of Winchester, co-ordinates the judging process, with first stage and final stage judges made up of academics, IBE staff, business leaders and any competition sponsors.

About the Gordon Cook Foundation

Financial support for the competition is thanks to a donation from the Gordon Cook Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1974 to promote and develop values education in the British education systems. http://www.gordoncook.org/