Purpose - The purpose of the article is to define the concept of education management, identifying the relational aspects between the managerial decision and the ethical-moral perspective of autonomy, based on a bibliographic study of recent approaches in the field. Methodology / approach - The methodological plan of the paper consists in consulting the literature and, based on the bibliographic study, three research directions were established, determining the set of objectives and identifying concepts, methods and methodologies for each of them. Findings - Following the bibliographic study, in each direction of research, it was observed that the literature has some limitations in the direction of empirical studies on education management, the object of research being treated only theoretically. Limitations / implications of the research - The limitations of this research consist in the creation of a research methodology, based on the bibliographic study, which will be the basis of the subsequent qualitative and quantitative analyzes. Practical implications - In the future, the application of the methodology will serve to create a management model that will successfully contribute to the reform process. The pragmatic goal is to determine the methods of increasing managerial performance. Originality / value - This article highlights the paradox of the relationship between decision-making autonomy and quality assurance in education, because decision-making autonomy can lead to making the right decisions to achieve institutional goals.