Abstract:

Considered, up until lately, a trifle, the ethics within management is seen today as one of its fundamental aspects. In the past years, even more managers have strengthened the idea of corporative ethics or the one of the organizational culture’s values, even if the scandals did not lack within the world of international affairs.

While the moral makes reference to the standards of daily behavior, the real practical spiritual life of the individuals, of the human collectivities, it is being considered a real phenomenon. It designates the theory that has as a study object precisely this phenomenon. The ethics means “the science of right and wrong”.

Seen from a general point of view, the ethics represents a philosophic theory of the moral, usually comprising a doctrine referring to its very essence (the theoretical ethics) as well as a substantiation of the value system, norms, moral categories (the moral ethics). The concept of “deontology” designates the behavioral rules and ethical obligations of a profession. It is a theory of duty and moral obligations belonging to that profession.

Although it was defined in various ways, the ethics was focused upon the principles and standards that will govern the human interaction. The human ideals like honesty, truth, fairness are not only personal ideals, but they represent standards for the way in which the humans should behave with one another.

Ethical concepts like rights, duties and responsibilities build the structure of certain social relations, they define the field of individual authority and they specify what the individual owe to each other (persons or organizations) as well as what they owe to the community. While the ethics makes reference to the nature and source of values – often called “good” – the problems of justice and responsibility are in the centre of the human perception upon ethics.

Together with the time passing by, the managers, persons with authority within these organizations, the ones assuming responsibilities, are even more preoccupied by the ethical problems. The decisions they make according to their own interests must ensure a balance between the economical performances and the social ones as well. If this seems impracticable certain problems of an ethical nature appear. Finding a balance represents a terribly difficult problem in the present times, when the universities must try to anticipate the new needs of the market so that the ones bringing new and valuable advantages can obtain success. In such a way of looking at things it seems almost impossible always to make the optimal decisions in the favor of the social aspect.

The management ethics – determining what “right”, “correct” or “fair” means in the decisions and actions affecting the others as well – goes beyond the simple problems represented by the corruption, theft or deceit. It focuses upon the nature of the human relations – with the employees, students, beneficiaries or community members.

The authors have studied the way in which the university management applies the rules of ethics, of the moral within the act of leadership. Moreover, we highlighted the way in which the values of the organizational culture are being reflected by the management process.

The present paper deals with several aspects that highlight the need of ethical behavior within the university management.

Keywords:

ethic, management, university.