In the present-day job market, competition and fast-paced environments are not uncommon, making work ethics more critical than ever. The foundation of success among one’s professional, personal, and academic endeavors can be attributed to a healthy practice of ethics.
From Monday, April 3rd to Tuesday, April 4th, 44 students and 20 company representatives attended the Co-Curricular Learning Board (CCLB) Case Competition. The CCLB (Milliman, CUNA Mutual, American Family, Swiss Re, and Travelers) tasked students to collaborate in groups of four to formulate a solution to a problem posed by a hypothetical case. Then, groups were to defend their recommendations for the case in front of three company representatives. This year, the competition allowed for three winners to be selected.
The case regarded how to resolve an unhealthy company culture. The student contenders majored in actuarial science and risk management to finance, mathematics, and statistics. This wide range of talent allowed for more creativity in solutions to the case. Most solutions focused on the importance of work ethics as they impact performance and team dynamics, and how these issues are magnified in a high-stress environment.
My team was comprised of two freshmen, one sophomore, and myself, a junior. The case was released at 6 pm on April 3rd, giving us that night and the next morning to prepare our presentation for the judges. I enjoyed this prolonged format of the event. It allowed our group to have a lower-stress collaboration session while maintaining productivity to reach the next day’s deadline.
After studying the case, our team reasoned that the most important pillars for a healthy work environment include a balance of team collaboration, integrity, commitment, adaptability, and continuous improvement. A misbalance of any of these factors can result in an unhealthy work environment. In this case, we saw a misbalance of integrity and continuous improvement from management. Our team determined unique solutions to resolve these issues, such as satisfaction surveys and a subscription to a meditation app called Calm.
Participating in this event allowed me to engage with new students, network with company representatives, and receive feedback on my presentation skills. This experience was valuable as I was able to practice the steps to tackle and present a case. I appreciated the constructive feedback my team received and look forward to participating in a future case competition! A big thank you to the CCLB and the Risk and Insurance faculty and staff, who dedicated their time to making this event happen.