This critical incident is decision-based and the information was obtained from primary (interviews, firsthand knowledge) and secondary sources. The names of Professor Roldan and Evan Peralta have been disguised.
Professor Roldan was stunned when Evan Peralta, a freshman in his Business 101 class, admitted to stealing money in the Global Trading Simulation. The Global Trading Simulation was an interactive competition in which 38 student teams from a dozen Business 101 classes competed against each other. The simulation was typically a highlight for students. However, when it came to light that Peralta cheated, it sullied the experience for classmates while simultaneously causing Professor Roldan to be in disbelief. Peralta’s conduct leading up to the simulation was extremely helpful. Specifically, a shortage of students on one team required a player to change teams at the last minute. Without thinking twice, Peralta volunteered to switch teams. This noble gesture helped Professor Roldan immensely. However, it also caused him to reflect on the best way to handle Peralta’s behavior during the simulation. Professor Roldan needs to decide how to respond to Peralta’s conduct.
This critical incident would be best in undergraduate introductory courses related to business, ethics, management and/or leadership.
