The Intern, The Post, and the Fallout: Power, Accountability, and Ethical Leadership at Athletica

This interactive roleplay immerses participants in a high-stakes organizational crisis involving leadership conflict, HR mediation, and contested interpretations of accountability, care, and values. Participants assume asymmetric roles—managers, HR, and an intern—navigating power, reputational risk, and competing philosophies. Grounded in research on psychological safety and leadership, the exercise reveals how values are enacted under pressure, not merely espoused. Rather than debating what leaders should do in theory, participants must decide what they would do when discipline and termination are plausible responses. We offer a transferable framework for teaching ethical decision-making and conflict mediation across undergraduate, MBA, and executive contexts.