SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION MANAGEMENT: TOWARD A HUMAN-CENTERED DECISION CULTURE

Abstract

The article examines leadership responsibility in higher education management from the perspective of management psychology. Universities and academies are knowledge-based institutions in which leadership decisions shape motivation, professional identity, trust and institutional belonging. The article argues that responsible academic management requires a human-centered decision culture based on value orientation, participatory sense-making, psychological safety and reflective accountability. The manuscript is theoretical and analytical; it does not report empirical data. Drawing on leadership theory, organizational psychology and regional scholarship on managerial decision-making, the article explains how academic leaders can balance administrative discipline with respect for autonomy, professional dialogue and student development. Practical recommendations are offered for leadership training, decision-review procedures, feedback systems and socio-psychological indicators of management quality. The conclusion emphasizes that human-centered decision-making does not weaken institutional discipline; instead, it makes discipline legitimate, meaningful and development-oriented.