MS Exploring BUSINESS ETHICS

Exploring Business Ethics challenges members to demonstrate their understanding of ethical principles in the business world through an individual objective test and presentation. This event encourages members to explore standards of right and wrong conduct, ethical decision-making, and the impact of ethics on business practices.

Event Overview

Division: Middle School
Event Type: Team of 1, 2, or 3 members
Event Category: Presentation
Event Elements: Objective Test (35-multiple choice questions) and a Presentation (with a Topic)
Objective Test Time: 30 minutes
Presentation Time: 3-minute set-up, 7-minute presentation, 3-minute Question & Answer
Educational Alignments

Items Provided by Competitors: Sharpened Pencil (Objective Test), Technology and presentation items (Presentation), Attire that meets the Florida FBLA Dress Code

Items FBLA Provides: Table (Presentation)

Knowledge Areas:

· Communication Skills

· Self-Awareness

· Doing the Right Thing

· Teamwork Skills

· Leadership Skills

· Career Readiness

Test questions are based on the knowledge areas and objectives outlined for this event. Detailed objectives can be found in the study guide included in these guidelines.

District

Check with your District Leader for district-specific competition information and deadlines.

State

Eligibility

·         FBLA membership dues are paid by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 1 of the current school year.
·         Members may compete in an event at the State Leadership Conference (SLC) more than once if they have not previously placed in the top ten of that event at the National Leadership Conference (NLC). If a member places in the top ten of an event at NLC, they are no longer eligible to compete in that event.
·         Members must be registered for the SLC and pay the state conference registration fee in order to participate in competitive events.
·         Members must stay within the official FBLA housing block at the official FBLA hotel in order to compete.
·         Each district may be represented by participant(s) based on the Florida FBLA scaled quota system found on the Florida FBLA website.
·         Each competitor can only compete in one individual/team event and one chapter event (Annual Activities, Community Service Project).
·         Only competitors are allowed to plan, research, and set up their presentation.
·         Each competitor must compete in all parts of an event for award eligibility.
·         All members of a team must consist of individuals from the same chapter.
·         Each section of the event must be completed by the same individuals. Competitors must participate in each level to be eligible for an award.
·         If competitors are late for an objective test, they may be disqualified or permitted to begin late with no extension of the time as scheduled.
·         If competitors are late for a presentation time, they may be disqualified or placed later in the schedule. The decision is solely up to the judges.
·         Participants must adhere to the Florida FBLA dress code established by the Florida Board of Directors or they will not be permitted to participate in the competitive event.

Recognition

· The number of competitors will determine the number of winners. The maximum number of winners for each competitive event is 5.

Event Administration

· This event has two parts: Objective Test and Final Presentation based on a topic

· Objective Test

o   The objective test is administered at the SLC.
o   No reference or study materials may be brought to the testing site.
o   No calculators may be brought into the testing site; calculators will be provided.
o   Competitors on a team must test individually, starting within minutes of each other. Individual test scores will be averaged for a team score.

· Final Presentation Information

o   Equipment Set-up Time: 3 minutes
o   Presentation Time: 7 minutes (one-minute warning)
o   Question & Answer Time: 3 minutes
o   Important: Time allocations are exclusive. The presentation must begin immediately after the 3-minute set-up time concludes. Time may not be shifted between segments. Competitors will not interact with judges during the set-up period.

o   The five highest scoring teams will move to the final presentation round.
o   Competitors must research the topic and be prepared to present their findings and solutions. The presentation must address why the ethical issues happened, how it should be resolved, and what could have prevented it.
o   Competitors present directly from a one or two personal devices (laptop, tablet, mobile phone, or monitor approximately laptop-sized). If using two devices, one must face the judges and the other must face the presenters.
o   Screens and projectors are not allowed for use, and competitors are not allowed to bring their own. Power will not be available.
o   Internet Access: Not provided
o   Visual aids, samples, notes, and other physical materials related to the project may be used.
o   Items may be placed on the provided table or on the judges table, if space allows.
o   No items may be left with the judges following the presentation.
o   If performing as a team, all team members are expected to actively participate in the presentation.
o   Restricted Items: Animals (except authorized service animals), Food (for display only; may not be consumed by judges during the presentation), Links and QR codes (for display only; cannot be clicked or scanned by judges before, during, or after the presentation.
o   Information must be supported by credible, well-documented sources.
o   Any use of copyrighted material, images, logos, or trademarks must be properly documented.
o   Preparation for and presentation of the entry must be conducted by chapter members.
o   Event Specific Information:
· Identify and Define the Ethical Issues: Clearly state the ethical issues or dilemmas related to the topic.
· Explain Why the Ethical Issues Occurred: Describe the actions, decisions, or circumstances that led to the ethical problems; including relevant context or background information to help explain how the situation developed.
· Recommend Solutions: Offer thoughtful, realistic solutions for how the ethical issues could be resolved and explain why these recommendations are appropriate and how they would help address the problem.
· Suggest Preventive Safeguards: Recommend steps that could have been taken to prevent the issue from happening in the first place.

Scoring

·         Team members will test individually, and team scores will be averaged.
·         The objective test scores will be used to determine the 5 finalists.
·         Winners will be determined by the final presentation scores.
·         All judging decisions are final. Results announced at the State Leadership Conference are considered official and will not be changed after the conclusion of the State Leadership Conference.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

· FBLA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by providing reasonable accommodations for competitors. Accommodation requests must be submitted through the conference registration system by the official registration deadline. All requests will be reviewed, and additional documentation may be required to determine eligibility and appropriate support.

Recording of Presentations

· No unauthorized audio or video recording devices will be allowed in any competitive event.
· Competitors in the events should be aware FBLA reserves the right to record any presentation for use in study or training materials.

Electronics

· Unless approved as part of a documented accommodation, all cell phones, watches, electronic devices, and headphones must be turned off and stored away before the competition begins. Visible devices during the event will be considered a violation of the FBLA Honor Code.

Penalty Points

· Competitors may be disqualified if they violate the Competitive Event Guidelines or the Honor Code.

National

If you are competing on the national level, be sure to see National guidelines at https://www.fbla.org/divisions/fbla-middle-level/competitive-events/

2026-27 Topic: Making Safe Choices: Building Trust during a Food Safety Concern
Businesses have a responsibility to protect their customers, especially when food safety concerns arise. Ethical decision-making helps organizations respond honestly, protect public health, and build trust.

Background Information—This section provides competitors with context on ethical decision-making in business. Competitors should review this information before completing the Exploring Business Ethics competition using the topic on the following page.

You’ve probably heard phrases like “grace under fire,” “rising to the occasion,” or “cool under pressure” to describe athletes, first responders, or doctors before. Being at your best when facing adversity is an excellent quality for individuals, but it’s also a great quality for businesses. Just one organization can have hundreds, thousands, or even millions of stakeholders who are impacted by its actions. That means when challenges arise and the stakes are at their highest, businesses need to make sound decisions…or else risk hurting others.

One sector where businesses must constantly be at the top of their game is the food industry. There is perhaps no commodity more universal than food—people need it every day, which means that food companies must oversee incredibly complicated and diverse production, processing, and distribution systems to fulfill demand.

It also means that when something goes wrong, the consequences can be severe. In July 2026, it was revealed that some commercially sold lettuce in the United States contained the parasite Cyclospora. The resulting foodborne illnesses caused hundreds of hospitalizations and several deaths. Producer Taylor Farms was pressured to recall its lettuce in 27 states, and the company is now losing business and under intense scrutiny.

It is simply essential that businesses, especially those in industries where the safety of the public is at stake, be equipped with the tools to quickly and correctly address crises. They need a strong ethical framework to help them navigate challenging situations and make difficult decisions.

Ethics are the basic principles (such as integrity, transparency, and trust) that govern our behavior. In the business world, ethics are essential to navigating issues ranging from individual employee conflicts to corporate sustainability practices. For organizations in the food industry, demonstrating sound ethical principles ensures that no matter what comes their way—whether it be logistical failures, like product shortages and transportation breakdowns, or public health emergencies, like contaminated or diseased food—they can reduce societal harm and maintain stakeholder trust.

Middle School Topic:

Tony is the CEO of Prime Label Meats, a beef and poultry processing company. Prime Label is one of the largest meat companies in the country and sells hundreds of millions of pounds of meat every week.

Tony has just been informed that traces of a highly dangerous and infectious bacterium were found in a small batch of their beef product. Thankfully, the quality assurance team believes that this is an isolated incident and that the bacteria have been contained. The company is continuing to run tests nationwide to find any additional traces of the bacteria.

Tony is considering enacting a complete recall of all their beef products. A recall is the only way to guarantee that all infected beef is identified and customers aren’t harmed.

However, Tony is warned that a recall of that magnitude could have grave consequences. The food industry as a whole would suffer, and a recall would likely make customers panic. Thousands of supermarkets and fast-food restaurants that sell beef would lose customer business and trust. Therefore, some leaders at Prime Label Meats request that Tony resume normal business operations.

What do you think Tony should do? Should Tony prioritize customer safety or the well-being of his company and the food industry?