The influence of graduate attributes and humanistic principles on leadership, social responsibility, and performance

Higher education institutions (HEIs) offer educational methods inspired by their mission, vision, and philosophy. Graduate attributes are the resulting skills and competencies that students develop during their learning process and then apply in their professional work. This study analyzes whether a HEI’s humanistic philosophy informs graduate attributes and then influences Senior Management alumni’s leadership style and social responsibility. The results of this study suggest that HEIs with strong humanistic components favor the development of a person-centered leadership. And, when graduates occupy management positions, this leadership style correlates with the development of socially responsible companies as well as positive organizational performance. Moreover, the longer graduates occupy leadership positions, the greater the positive effect on the organization.