UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In its third time participating in the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC), the Penn State Smeal College of Business Ethics Case Team earned a third-place finish in the ethics stream, making this the second time Smeal has placed in the top three. 

The Smeal Ethics Case Competiton team, sponsored by the Tariff Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility, is advised by Michelle Darnell, associate clinical professor and director of the Tariff Center. 

Two members from the team were sent to participate in the ICBC. However, when one student couldn’t participate in the competition, Angela Lam Li, a sophomore in marketing, tackled the competition by herself. Arthur Jones, Smeal associate teaching professor of management information systems, accompanied Lam Li to the competition. 

The competition consisted of two rounds where teams considered an ethical dilemma. The preliminary round spanned several weeks in October as teams developed a written case. The topic of first round revolved around the ethical implications of foreign ownership in U.S.-based companies and how it affects North American involvement in the Russia-Ukraine War. 

After the preliminary round, the top six teams, including Smeal, moved on to the final round. 

The final round was a three-day event held in January at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Five and a half hours were allotted for each team to read and solve the provided case. 

Similar to the preliminary round’s scenario, the final round was focused on the ethical dilemmas of the energy crisis being faced around the world as a result of the Russian/Ukrainian War. 

Even with her teammate’s unforeseen absence, Lam Li completed the final part of the competition on her own.  

On the last day of the three-day event, Lam Li represented Smeal in the final round of the ICBC. Lam Li rose to the challenge and completed the case individually, earning third place overall.