The Contributions Of Student Organization Involvement To Students Self-Assessments Of Their Leadership Traits And Relational Behaviors

Abstract

Many business schools designate leadership as a learning outcome for their undergraduates, but the question of how to teach leadership is challenging. Results of this study showed that students who were engaged in extracurricular student organizations rated themselves higher on both leadership traits and behaviors than those who were not involved in student organizations. Though faculty may not interact regularly directly with student affairs professionals, this study suggests that students learn holistically and across all their experiences, both inside and outside the classroom. Pairing coursework aimed at improving leadership capabilities with co-curricular organization activities that give students additional opportunities for trying out what they are learning in the classroom could improve intentionality and authenticity in students educational experiences.