Ethics in the Banking Sector

Ethics or rather its lack in finances it is a very popular topic nowadays. Banks have an important role in the economy and must have a certain behaviour towards the society, therefore must follow the moral norms. Each banker has his set of values, which form the basis for judging what is "right". All the commercial banks have their own set of rules inspired by organizational culture and management, rules that follow the Banking Code of Ethics. During their activity, banks will seek to ensure a balance between the interests of customers, shareholders, investors and stakeholders. The paper discloses the main trends and issues of banking ethics and the customers` experiences with the Romanian banks. Financial inclusion and ethical sustainability regarding the banking system is an important subject for researchers and bankers. Moreover, the lack of clear ethical norms regarding the manner of communicating the interests and commissions from the contract are affecting the customer relationship with the bank. The study aims to increase the attention paid to customer interests in relation with the banks and also the public confidence in the financial banking field, by standardizing the norms of integration and applied ethics of the country. An immoral behaviour destroys the trust, and without trust, businesses cannot grow. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate and correct the main dysfunctions in the banking sector regarding the ethical behaviour, how banks can adapt to the requirements of the society, how the Banking Code of Ethics can be improved. Confidence in the banking environment expresses the presumption of continued economic activity.