Each spring, through the financial support of Troy and Sissy Templeton, the Stetson Business Ethics Initiative, within the School of Business Administration, sponsors the Templeton Business Ethics Case Competition. Undergraduate students from invited institutions across the country receive the opportunity to analyze and present arguments on a contemporary business issue tied to financial, legal and ethical issues.

Let’s just say, with 16 universities represented this year, the students’ intellectual engines are revving.

Set for Feb. 20-22 at Stetson, this year’s competition features the theme: “DEI at Daytona: Stay on Track, Accelerate Forward, or Race Away?” As is tradition, Stetson students don’t participate in the competition participants, but serve as hosts.

In addition, R. Edward Freeman, PhD, will wave the green flag — serving as keynote speaker on Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., at the Rinker Welcome Center’s Presentation Room. Freeman, the University of Virginia’s Stephen E. Bachand University Professor of Business Administration, is considered a luminary in business ethics and has taught at the university’s Darden School of Business for more than four decades.

Freeman’s keynote address is open to students, faculty and staff, along with the general public. Also, the final round of competition is open to all.

The Case for NASCAR

The case for this year’s competition centers on a question being posed to the executive leadership team at NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). Essentially, in theoretical terms, amid the challenging environment for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion, what should NASCAR do?

Briefly, each university team assumes the identity of an independent consulting group retained to advise NASCAR, and ultimately make specific and actionable recommendations. Prior to the event, each university was tasked with providing a written executive summary and a PowerPoint presentation, which will result in initial rankings to establish seeding for rounds one and two of the competition. Those rounds occur Friday, Feb. 21, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Lynn Business Center, with judges asking follow-up questions and selecting winners.

Final presentations are scheduled at 3 p.m., followed by a presentation of awards. Notably, NASCAR executives will be on campus for the finals of the competition.

On Saturday, Feb. 22, a visit to NASCAR Headquarters and the Daytona International Speedway is planned for participating students.

Professor of Management John Tichenor, PhD, the competition’s faculty director and Stetson’s Eugene M. Lynn Chair in Business, believes the event allows students to “grapple with contemporary business issues in ways that are often not addressed in the classroom.”

“They take a real-life problem and design a solution that addresses the financial, legal and ethical issues of the situation,” said Tichenor, who co-wrote the case with Stetson Professor of Management Jim Beasley, PhD. “Further, they present their solutions to business leaders, and this year the business leaders will include NASCAR executives.”

Note: Winners will be announced on Stetson Today in a separate story.

Participating Universities

• Campbell University
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Florida Institute of Technology
• Florida State University
• Iowa State University
• La Salle University
• Northern Illinois University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Providence College
• St. Petersburg College
• Susquehanna University 
• University of Arizona
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of North Dakota