Institutional Governance and Ethical Leadership - Essay Example

al Governance and Ethical Leadership Christine M. Gallegos Grand Canyon Goverance and Structures in Higher Education EDUC - 812- (0101) Dr. Karen Smith July 13, 2014 Abstract This essay focuses on the place of ethics in institutional governance. Reviewing current publications, it discusses the concept of institutional governance and provides a model to implement ethics in organizational practices. Presentation of ethical issues in higher education is underpinned by examples from recruiting, fundraising and athletic spheres. Discussion of ethics and legal influences on institutional governance defines their overall effect on policies and practices in higher education. The essay comes to the conclusion that ethics motivates reforms in institutional governance and stresses the importance of ethical leadership in higher education. Institutional Governance and Ethical Leadership In order to function effectively, every organization needs a person or a group of people who will take care about all internal and external process related to organizational activities. As well as all other organizations, public and private educational institutions may succeed only in case of effective leadership. The concept of institutional governance deals with the principles of organization and administration of all processes in such organizations. Resent attention to ethics in different organization creates a challenge to higher education leaders who need to reform their approach to institutional governance. This essay will focus on the place of ethics in institutional governance dwelling on certain areas of governance in detail. Institutional Governance Institutional governance is actively reforming now; this process reflects major trends in organizational cultures like optimization, autonomy and ethics. University governance becomes more autonomous and specialized (Christensen, 2011). According to Lombardi, Craig, Capaldi & Gater (2002), American higher education establishments use different governing models to manage their activities; however, presence of governing boards is characteristic for all schools, colleges and universities in the US (AGB, 2010). Nowadays all public and private educational institutions have to be ethical to prove that people can trust them. They are expected to reflect, develop and teach ethical and moral values. Clarity, coherence and effectiveness of policies, rules and practices executed by governing boards in educational institutions define their success in setting their strategic goals. Reforming institutional governance moves it to implementation of “shared governance” concept which gives institutions more autonomy (Shattock, 2002). At the same time, it is challenging for educational establishments because they have reflect common ethical and moral values in their practices. Being responsible for their funding, they have to find a right solution to act ethically despite budget cuts, crises and rapidly changing environment. Integrating Ethics in Institutional Decision-Making Process Ethics influences institutional governance in different spheres; according to McClellan, King & Rockey (2012), administration needs to embrace personal and organizational ethics to succeed in making university practices ethical. Personal ethics is defined as a scope of values and moral standings a person has. Organizational ethics is represented by ethical practices shared by all people in the organization and underpinned by formal code of ethics or honor code developed in the institution. This set of written rules and recommendations is the main tool to make decision-making ethical in the organization. It is necessary to understand the effect of personal values and beliefs on general rules. In some cases, they can be similar; however, conflicts between personal and organizational values might take place. Framework of effective ethical organization consists of four major elements which can be defined as “ethical and professional leadership”, “ethical and professional teamwork”, “ethical and professional managements” and “ethical education and training” (McClellan, King & Rockey, 2012). Application of this framework results in promotion of ethical practices, objective ethical decision-making and organizational culture with strong ethical standing. Working in four dimensions simultaneously, governing board can create an atmosphere where ethical standards are well-integrated in all processes. Following ethical and professional leadership principles requires all leaders to meet high standards established by their organization and professional codes of ethics. Ethical and professional management deeply integrates ethical principles in all administrative practices. Teamwork supports academic integrity, collaboration, respectful atmosphere and effective communication in the organization. Finally, ethical education and training effectively communicates ethical and moral values to students, their parents, educators and organization staff preventing the situation where differences in personal ethics lead to violation of organizational honor code. Ethical Issues in Higher Education There are many ethical challenges which are common for all organizations in the USA. Diversity and equality values heavily influence institutional governance. According to AGB (2010), students are becoming older and more diverse. 32% of all students in the USA are represented by racial minorities. Education is required to become less culture-specific and more flexible in order to create inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for students. On the other hand, there are many specific administrative ethical issues which appear to have place in institutional governance. Such ethical issues as cheating, violations of honor code, lack of objectivity and misconduct of sport teams become topical for leaders in higher education institutions (Trakman, 2008). According to McClellan, King & Rockey (2012), all these issues need to be addressed in honor code and administrative policies. Any violation of honor code needs to be noticed and timely addressed in the way defined in university policies. AGB (2010) stresses the importance of effective communication with students and colleagues because they need to confirm the fact that they understand the limits of their behavior and expectations of school administration. Specific ethical issues can be found in different areas of governance. It is necessary to focus on some of them in detail. Impact of Ethics on Areas of Governance Most institutions suffer from lack of governmental support. The number of students is constantly increasing; however, this fact does not stop budget cuts (NASFAA, n.d.). In times of economic challenges, educators need to find a way to reduce costs and provide high quality education to students. Many institutions in the USA use the simplest way; they compensate decreased funds by tuition. Tuition prices make higher education unaffordable for many students. Chakrabarti, Maricas and Zafar (2012) argue that there are enough alternatives to keep education affordable and high quality. Universities can become more cost-efficient if they revise instruction effectiveness and prices; some programs can be temporarily terminated and reformed. Overall, ethical values challenge institutional leaders because they need to balance lack of finance and affordability of their services for different groups of population. Organizational ethics defines the process of hiring followed by university administration. In order to avoid conflicts between personal and professional values, recruiting practices are organized in a way to make sure that personal ethics of successful applicants reflects organizational ethics (McClellan, King & Rockey, 2012). Ethical principles stress the importance of diversity and equality in recruiting policies of the institution. University leaders have to avoid personal judgments and make sure that the competition between applicants is fair. If a person is not accepted, it is necessary to contact them and provide the reason of this decision. Recruiting policies have to be objective and non-discriminatory; representatives of different age, race, social origin and gender have a right to be seriously considered by the administration. University administration has to treat people with disabilities with respect and give them enough opportunities for career growth. University athletics also experiences changes related to ethical reformation. All administrators in this sphere have to follow organizational code of honor as well as professional codes of ethics developed by sport organizations. For instance, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is designed to unify ethical standing of coaching as a profession and university athletics development (McClellan, King & Rockey, 2012). It stresses the importance of professionalism, ethical practices, fair competitions and high quality of coaching and performance. Professional code of ethics is general; it is specified by organization code which dictates exact guidelines for all departments which function in the organization. Institutional Ethics and Legal Influences In many ways, US public, state and local laws influence practices and interventions implemented in educational institutions. Among all sources of legal responsibilities, the Constitution remains the most important one. Amendments of the Constitution protect personal rights, equal opportunities, fair employment and respect to diversity. The text of Constitution applies to all states in the USA. State laws specify some of provisions in local conditions supporting the same principles manifested in the Constitution. Local laws are even narrower as they address specific issues which are common only in certain area of a state (Williams & Armisted, 2011). Institution ethics is built up on the basis of legal provisions and specific organizational values which do not contradict the laws. Legal aspect guide actions of administration protecting employees from manipulation, unfair treatment or exploitation. It grants all of them confidentiality, freedom of speech and many other rights and freedoms. Legal provisions determine the response to serious misconduct cases which are to be accepted by governing board. At the same time, organization code of conduct specifies some controversies which exist between individual right and freedoms and organizational interests. For instance, all people enjoy the right of freedom of speech, but organizational code of conduct specifies the meaning of confidential information requiring not disclosing it. Many institutions require employees to behave with dignity even when they are not at work. The recent issue of social network behavior is not covered by the laws in the USA; organizational policies specify this aspect. Conclusion In summary, ethics has a great impact in educational government in general as well as in it particular spheres. New ethical values of diversity, equality and academic integrity find their reflection in institutional policies, practices and codes of conduct. Ethics changes institutional approaches to recruiting, fundraising and administration to meet high ethical standards and deserve public trust. Following the principles of ethical management, leadership, teamwork and training complexly changes institutions from the inside. Overall, observing the current trend in ethical institutional governance, it is possible to predict that they will keep updating further. References Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). (2010). Board Responsibility for Institutional Governance. Retrieved July 10, 2014. https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/boardoftrustees/BOT-AGB-governance.pdf Chakrabarti, R. Mabutas, M. & Zafar, B. (2012). Soaring tuitions: Are public funding cuts to blame? http://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2012/09/soaring-tuitions-are-public-funding-cuts-to-blame.html Christensen, T. (2011).University governance reforms: Potential problems of more autonomy? Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Educational Planning, 62(4), 503-517. Lombardi, J. V., Craig, D. D., Capaldi, E. D., & Gater, D. S. (2002). University organization, governance and competitiveness. Retrieved October, 29, 2007. McClellan, G. S., King, C., & Rockey Jr, D. L. (2012). The handbook of college athletics and recreation administration. John Wiley & Sons. NASFAA.(n.d.). State and local higher education funding hits 25-year low.Retrieved December 21, 2012http://www.nasfaa.org/research/News/State_and_Local_Higher_Education_Funding_Hits_25-Year_Low.aspx Shattock, M. (2002, July). Re-balancing modern concepts of university governance. Higher Education Quarterly, 56(3), 235-244. Trakman, L. (2008). Modeling university governance. Higher Education Quarterly, 62(1-2), 63–83. Williams, B.B. & Armisted, L. (2011). Applying law and ethics in professional practice. In Lionetti et al. (2011). A practical guide to building professional competencies in school psychology, 13. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC Read More