All case studies have been commissioned specifically for use at DBECC, and are being written by a professional case writer.

Round One

Each competing team will be sent a case one month prior to their arrival in Halifax . During this month, they are expected to consult external resources, evaluate the case, prepare recommendations and construct a presentation based upon their findings. On Day 1, each team will make their presentation to a panel of judges who will evaluate them on their performance and analysis. Each team will then receive a series of points which correspond with their score.

Round Two

The second case will be distributed to all competing teams on the morning of Day Two. The teams will be given four hours in which to deliberate, prepare their recommendations, and construct a presentation. In this round, the use of external resources will not be permitted. After the four-hour period has expired, teams will once again present their analyses to a panel of judges, and will receive their score based upon a series of points. Points received in Round Two will then be combined with those received in Round One to determine which eight teams will advance to the final round of the competition.

Round Three

The top teams in each pool receiving the greatest total number of points in rounds one and two will advance to the final round of competition. The format of the final round is comparable to the format used in round two; teams will receive the case on the morning of Day Three, and will have four hours in which to prepare their recommendations. Each team will then present their recommendations to a panel of judges. These presentations will be open to the public, and the winner of the competition will be selected following this round of presentations.

The Weekend

With a mandate of providing students with a comprehensive learning experience, the competition itself is only one of the many valuable components included in DBECC. In the evenings, participants will have the opportunity to hear from promienent business leaders and business ethics experts.

Those teams who do not make the final round will be encouraged to watch the remaining presentations and take in some Halifax scenery.

In addition, DBECC offers participants an unparalleled networking opportunity – not only will student delegates meet fellow business students from top universities across Canada and the United States, but they will have the opportunity to associate with some of the top figures in business ethics, including guest speakers, university advisors, case writers, judges and sponsors.