Ethical Administration: An Oxymoron?

Abstract

This article argues that education is a fundamentally moral enterprise and that educational administration needs to change in order to reflect ethics at its core, not at its periphery. It suggests that traditional educational administration is informed by the constructs of power and leadership and that it has developed a generalized knowledge-base on modest theoretical grounds. Together these elements preclude development of educational administration as an ethical enterprise by dominating the discourse and inhibiting the dialogue necessary for ethical decision making. The question of whether or not ethical decision making can take place within an organization is explored. Recommendations for curricular changes in educational administration programs are advanced with regard to putting ethics at the core of the curriculum instead of training in idiosyncratic particulars.

Mapping our Progress: Identifying, Categorizing and Comparing Universities’ Ethics Infrastructures

“…This lack of involvement at such an association could mirror problems in ethics at the level of university administration, as McKerrow (1997) suggests, or illustrate problems associated with funding support functions that are not directly tied to a university_s research or teaching mission. Finally, it could be a function of the diversity, complexity and multiplicity of issues that arise in academia, which, in turn, limits the helpfulness of codes that cannot embrace such complexity (Neukrug, 1997;Fusilier et al, 1996).…”

“…Assigned agents should be held accountable for their implementation (McKerrow, 1997;Rich, 1984) so that clear, orderly, continuous and fair procedures exist (Goodstein, 2002;Knight & Auster, 1999). Universities can provide ethics workshops throughout the year (Narvan, 2003;Goonen & Blechman, 1999;McKerrow, 1997;Folse, 1991) to ensure that desired values are communicated throughout the systems and supported by leadership (Narvan, 2003;McKerrow, 1997;Rich, 1984). Establishing ethics committees will ensure employees can consult others with questions and concerns.…”

“…Finally, Counelis (1993) and Narvan (2003) suggest that enforcing ethics codes requires devising formal organizational systems to support such codes. To determine these practices, McKerrow (1997); Rich (1984); and Orzack and Simcoe (1982), suggest providing undominated, professional and appropriate discourse to develop codes.…”

“…Establishing ethics committees will ensure employees can consult others with questions and concerns. The result of these changes will facilitate ethical decision making (McKerrow, 1997) at all levels of the organization.…”

“…Universities_ missions and goal statements should provide specific value and behavioral standards (Goonen & Blechman, 1999;McKerrow, 1997). Assigned agents should be held accountable for their implementation (McKerrow, 1997;Rich, 1984) so that clear, orderly, continuous and fair procedures exist (Goodstein, 2002;Knight & Auster, 1999).…”