Quality Culture - A Key Issue for Romanian Higher Education

AbstractIt is widely recognized the importance of education in general and of higher education for the future of a nation. Quality culture represents a very important factor for any type of organization, be it school, university, not-for-profit groups, government agencies or business entities. Achieving a quality-oriented behavior is “a vital element for achieving a prosperous economy” (Juran, 1988). In this regard the educational component is of major importance, not only in terms of quality benefit, but also by integrating the need for quality in the national culture. Romanian higher education has to deal with a lot of challenges. Quality assurance is the responsibility of each Romanian higher education institution and the foundation for the development of quality culture and creativity in higher education. Quality culture, as a matter of internal institutional quality, is regarded as a priority for the development of Romanian higher education institutions and represents a key for continuous improvement, sustainable competitive advantage and excellence in the context of the knowledge-based society