Student Essay Competition

The competition has now been launched and will be open for submissions from 01 March - 30 April 2020. Entries must be submitted via the website.

About the Competition

The IBE Student Essay Competition celebrates the best student writing and thinking on business ethics. All the information you need to know about the competition can be found below:

Prizes are awarded in two categories – Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Submissions should be 2,500 words (±10%) excluding all supplementary materials (appendices and bibliographies)
You choose the topic that you want to write about
A focus on current topics in business ethics is encouraged, and rewarded through the judging process.

For inspiration on what to write about, take a look at the Knowledge Hub.

For more information download the Competition Leaflet.

Why should I enter?

Professional development

Shortlisted and winning essays, marked by a panel of industry and academic professionals enhances any student CV
Authors of winning essays will be invited to present their essay to industry experts at an awards ceremony in London
The awards ceremony also provides an excellent opportunity to network with senior industry practictioners

Prize fund

A £1,000 prize fund is available for the winners of each category

Recognition for your institution

In recognition of the teaching and support that Universities provide, winning institutions will also be presented with a certificate at the awards ceremony

Who can enter the competition?

Submissions can be made by individuals or groups
Any student studying a qualification accredited by a recognised higher education institute in the UK (including internation students on exchange / placement programmes and those on distance learning courses)
Submissions must be from current students (yet to graduate on date of submission) on undergraduate or master's programmes (including MBA's) - those studying for a doctorate are not eligible to enter the competition
Students must submit essays themselves (tutors cannot submitt essays on behalf of their students)

Looking for inspiration?

Anti-bribery & corruption

Organisations should be committed to a zero tolerance policy on bribery.

Corporate governance

The board has the ultimate responsibility for the culture of the organisation.

Fair competition

Competition is an essential market driver, but competitive advantage should only be by fair and lawf ...

Human rights

Every human being has a right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Pay

Fairness in pay is a key ethical issue. Those at the top can be perceived to be paid excessively, an ...

Speak up

The freedom to raise concerns is a core component of a supportive ethical business culture where emp ...

Tax

Avoiding tax by ‘bending’ the rules of the tax system is not illegal, but is it ethical?

Technology

As technological advances are made and digital technology becomes more and more integrated into busi ...

Treatment of employees

The topic of employee wellbeing encompasses issues which affect an organisation's key group of stake ...

Essential information...

Competition leaflet

Competition small print

Competition poster

Contact the competition lead to find out more...

Professor Chris Cowton

Associate Director - Research, IBE, c.cowton@ibe.org.uk

Chris brings his vast experience of researching business ethics issues to the work of the IBE Research Hub, with a remit to strengthen its widely respected applied research and a specific role of further developing our engagement with higher education.

Chris Cowton is Emeritus Professor at the University of Huddersfield and Visiting Professor at Leeds University’s Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre. He was previously Professor of Accounting (1996-2016), Professor of Financial Ethics (2016-2019) and Dean of the Business School (2008-2016) at Huddersfield, having joined after ten years lecturing at the University of Oxford.

He is internationally recognised for his contributions to business ethics, especially his pioneering work on financial ethics. In 2013 he was awarded the University of Huddersfield’s first DLitt (Doctor of Letters, a higher doctorate) in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of knowledge in business and financial ethics.

He is the author of more than 60 journal papers, has edited three books and has written many book chapters. He was Editor of the journal Business Ethics: A European Review for a decade (2004-2013).

He is also a visiting professor at University of the Basque Country, Bilbao (Spain), and has been a visiting professor at the University of Bergamo (Italy) and a member of the Ethics Standards Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (2009-2018).

You can read Chris's extensive bibliography here

Discussion of ethics in public life, including business, often makes unhelpful sweeping generalisations that take us nowhere. ‘Politicians are only in it for themselves’, ‘businesses manipulate consumers’, etc. Such comments describe one end of a spectrum, perhaps, but they do a disservice to those who are trying to do so much better. The IBE plays a key role, in supporting high standards of business behaviour and I am delighted to use my research expertise to contribute to that mission.

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Also of interest...

IBE Student Essay Competition in Business Ethics 2020