The relationship between Sharia governance practices and financial resilience in Islamic microfinance institutions
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/imfi.23(2).2026.12
-
Article InfoVolume 23 2026, Issue #2, pp. 150-165
- 16 Views
-
2 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
The intersection of Sharia governance practices and Islamic microfinance institutions’ (IMFi) financial resilience in Indonesia is critical to understand, especially given the unique nature and growing importance of Sharia-compliant financial systems in modern economies. This study examines the relationship between Sharia governance practices and IMFi’s financial resilience in Indonesia. The exploratory factor analysis and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model were employed. The results of the exploratory factor analysis identified three distinct components of financial resilience for IMFi: financial performance reflecting the institution’s profitability and efficiency; financial adaptability, indicating its capacity to adjust to economic changes and shocks; and financial robustness, measuring the strength of its capital base and risk management systems to absorb losses. Structural equation modeling using Partial Least Squares reveals a complex relationship between Sharia governance practices and financial resilience; specifically, a strong Sharia governance framework and an institution’s transparency and confidentiality were found to have a significant positive impact on overall financial resilience. Rigid consistency procedures and a more prominent role of the Sharia board were unexpectedly found to negatively influence financial resilience, suggesting that excessive procedural rigidity or overly conservative board oversight might hamper an institution’s ability to respond flexibly to financial challenges. The findings extend contingency- and resource-based theory by evidencing the differential impact of sharia governance practices on financial resilience. This study recommends that managers prioritize transparent reporting systems and regulators mandate a clear governance structure for Indonesia’s Islamic microfinance institutions.
Acknowledgment
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia for providing the necessary research funding (SP DIPA-0139.04.1.693320/2025 and Contract number: KPt/001/LPPM-UNES/VI/2025).
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)G34, G32, M21
-
References63
-
Tables5
-
Figures3
-
- Figure 1. Scree plot
- Figure 2. Measurement model
- Figure 3. Structural equation model
-
- Table 1. Demographic data
- Table 2. KMO and Bartlett’s test
- Table 3. Explanatory factor analysis: Financial resilience
- Table 4. Validity and reliability of the construct
- Table 5. Path coefficient
-
- Abdallah, M. B., & Bahloul, S. (2021). Disclosure, Shariah Governance and Financial Performance in Islamic Banks. Asian Journal of Economics and Banking, 5(3), 234-254.
- Ajili, H., & Bouri, A. (2018). Assessing the moderating effect of Shariah Board on the relationship between financial performance and accounting disclosure. Managerial Finance, 44(5), 570-589.
- Al Thnaibat, M., Al-Hajaya, K., & Alshhadat, M. Q. (2024). Do the characteristics of the Sharia Supervisory Board affect the Islamic banks’ performance? Evidence from Arab countries. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting.
- Alam, M K, Ab Rahman, S., Mustafa, H., Shah, S. M., & Hossain, M. S. (2019). Shariah governance framework of Islamic banks in Bangladesh: Practices, problems and recommendations. Asian Economic and Financial Review, 9(1), 118-132.
- Alam, Md. K. (2021). Rationality of Fourth Party in Legitimacy Theory: Shariah Governance of Islamic Financial Institutions. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 12(3), 418-438.
- Al-Malkawi, H. N., & Pillai, R. (2018). Analyzing Financial Performance by Integrating Conventional Governance Mechanisms Into the GCC Islamic Banking Framework. Managerial Finance, 44(5), 604-623.
- Aslam, E., Ur-Rehman, A., & Iqbal, A. (2021). Does corporate governance matter for asset quality of Islamic banks? Buletin Ekonomi Moneter Dan Perbankan, 24(2), 221-236.
- Azmi, N. N. I. N. M., & Thaker, M. A. M. T. (2020). Literature Survey on Islamic Microfinance. Global Review of Islamic Economics and Business, 8(1), 23-33.
- Azrak, T., & Edema, M. (2022). The Role of Islamic and Conventional Microfinance in Tackling Financial Exclusion in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Uganda. Shirkah Journal of Economics and Business, 7(2), 113-123.
- Bagozzi, R. R., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the Evaluation of Structural Equation Models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74-94.
- Barney, J. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
- Bartlett, M. S. (1950). Tests of Significance in Factor Analysis. British Journal of Statistical Psychology, 3, 77-85.
- Basiruddin, R., & Ahmed, H. (2019). Corporate governance and Shariah non-compliant risk in Islamic banks: evidence from Southeast Asia. Corporate Governance (Bingley), 20(2), 240-262.
- BenSaid, Y. R. (2023). Shariah Governance and Takaful Financial Performance: The Case of Listed Takaful Insurances. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 16(1), 170-187.
- Buallay, A. (2019). Corporate Governance, Sharia’ah Governance and Performance. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 12(2), 216-235.
- Cattell, R. B. (1966). The Scree Test for the Number of Factors. Multivariate Behavioural Research, 1, 245-276.
- Chariri, A. (2019). Corporate governance and financial performance in Islamic banks: The role of the sharia supervisory board in multiple-layer management. Banks and Bank Systems, 14(4), 183-191.
- Cheumar, M., Haji-Othman, Y., Nayan, M. A., Yusuff, M. S. S., Abbas, S. I., Abdullah, N., Melina, F., Zulfa, M., Ayuningtyas, R. D., & Yunita, P. (2023). Decoding Success: Investigating the Key Elements That Led to an Islamic Cooperative’s Prosperity as a Microfinance Institution. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(8).
- Chin, W. W. (1998). Issues and Opinion on Structural Equation Modelling. Management Information Systems Quarterly, 22(1), vii-xvi.
- Diego, J., Crespo, O., Feria-domínguez, J. M., Marcelo, D., & Guzmán, C. (2025). Systematic Literature Review on Organisational and Financial Resilience. IEEE Access, 13(January), 28.
- Elgattani, T., & Hussainey, K. (2020). The Impact of AAOIFI Governance Disclosure on Islamic Banks’ Performance. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 19(3), 434-454.
- Farida, I., & Setiawan, D. (2022). Business Strategies and Competitive Advantage: The Role of Performance and Innovation. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 8(3), 163.
- Grassa, R, El-Halaby, S., & Khlif, H. (2025). The economic consequences of Shariah governance: a systematic literature review and research agenda. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(12).
- Grassa, Rihab, El-Halaby, S., & Khlif, H. (2023). Shariah Board Characteristics and Islamic Banks’ Performance: A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 16(6), 1089-1106.
- Hair, J. F., Hult, M., G. T., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). Sage.
- Hamza, H. (2013). Sharia governance in Islamic banks: effectiveness and supervision model. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 6(3), 226-237.
- Harahap, R. S. (2021). The Competitive Advantage Analysis of PT Halliburton Indonesia by Using the Resource-Based View. Jesi (Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah Indonesia), 11(2), 124.
- Haridan, N. M., Hassan, A. F. S., & Karbhari, Y. (2018). Governance, religious assurance, and Islamic banks: Do Shariah boards serve effectively? Journal of Management and Governance, 22(4), 1015-1043.
- Hasan, A. N., Abdul-Rahman, A., & Yazid, Z. (2020). Shariah Governance Practices at Islamic Fund Management Companies. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 11(2), 309-325.
- Hasan, Z. (2011). A survey on Shari’ah governance practices in Malaysia, GCC countries and the UK: critical appraisal. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 4(1), 30-51.
- Hassan, A. F. S., Haridan, N. M., Zamil, N. A. M., & Muhammad, J. (2015). Reporting assurance for religious compliance in Islamic banks: Are we there yet? International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 13(6), 3953-3966.
- Hassan, A. F. S., Haridan, N. M., Zamil, N. A. M., & Muhammad, J. (2016). Reporting assurance for religious compliance in Islamic banks: Are we there yet? International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 14(3), 1465-1479.
- Helden, G. J. Van, Budding, T., Gomes, P., Hesse, M., & Smolders, C. (2025). Financial Resilience Perspective on COVID-19 Business Support: A Comparative Study of Four European Countries. A Journal of Accounting, Finance and Business Administration, 61(1), 121-142.
- Hlatshwayo, E., & Mpundu, M. (2024). Scaling Up Private Sector Financing for Climate Change Adaptation: A Mixed Method Study of Microfinance Institutions in Zimbabwe. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science, IX(VI), 76-88.
- Hulland, J. (1999). Use of Partial Least Squares (PLS) in Strategic Management Research: A Review of Four Recent Studies. Strategic Management Journal, 20(2), 195-204.
- Isa, M. P. B. M., Tubastuvi, N., Wahyuni, S., Marimuthu, M., Tony, R., Zulkifli, M. Z. A., & Hajar, S. (2021). Innovation of Risk Mitigation Model for Islamic Equity-Based Financing in Islamic Microfinance Institutions in Indonesia. SHS Web of Conferences, 124, 10004.
- Islam, K. M. A., & Bhuiyan, A. B. (2021). Determinants of the Effectiveness of Internal Shariah Audit: Evidence from Islamic Banks in Bangladesh. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 8(2), 223-230.
- Jan, S., & Ismail, M. (2023). Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutions. In Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutions.
- Jensen, M., & Meckling, W. (1976). Theory of the firm: managerial behaviour, agency costs, and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305-360.
- Kaiser, H. F. (1970). A second-generation little jiffy. Psychometrika, 35(4), 401-415.
- Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31-36.
- Karbhari, Y., Alam, M. K., & Rahman, M. M. (2020). Relevance of the Application of Institutional Theory in Shariah Governance of Islamic Banks. Psu Research Review, 5(1), 1-15.
- Kateb, I., Nafti, O., & Zeddini, A. (2025). How to improve the financial performance of Islamic banks in the MENA region? A Shariah governance perspective. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 20(6), 2559-2580.
- Khan, M. (2023). From Confidentiality to Concealment: An Issue of Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutions. In Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutions (pp. 80-93).
- Kulmie, D. A., Abdulle, M. A., & Awale, A. A. (2026). Systematic literature review on Shari’ah governance in Shari’ah banks: A Tool for performance and resilience. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 9(5).
- Lubis, N. W. (2022). Resource-Based View (RBV) in Improving Company Strategic Capacity. Research Horizon, 2(6), 587-596.
- Masruki, R., Hanefah, M. M., & Dhar, B. K. (2020). Shariah Governance Practices of Malaysian Islamic Banks in the Light of Shariah Compliance. Asian Journal of Accounting and Governance, 13.
- Minhas, I. H. (2023). Shariah Governance for Islamic Financial Institutions. In Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutions (pp. 152-175).
- Mkadmi, J. E., & Benali, W. (2025). The impact of the characteristics of Sharia committees on Islamic bank performance: evidence from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Management and Sustainability.
- Mohd Arif, M. I. A., & Markom, R. (2013). Role and status of the Shariah advisory council in enhancing the Islamic Financial system in Malaysia. Jurnal Pengurusan, 38, 127-132.
- Muryanto, Y. T. (2022). The Urgency of Sharia Compliance Regulations for Islamic Fintechs: A Comparative Study of Indonesia, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Journal of Financial Crime, 30(5), 1264-1278.
- Mutamimah, M., Zaenudin, Z., & Bin Mislan Cokrohadisumarto, W. (2022). Risk management practices of Islamic microfinance institutions to improve their financial performance and sustainability: a study on Baitut Tamwil Muhammadiyah, Indonesia. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, 14(5), 679-696.
- Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric Theory (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
- Odoch, H. J. P., & Wofuma, G. (2024). Enhancing financial resilience of women-owned SMEs in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic: the antecedent role of social capital. VILAKSHAN – XIMB Journal of Management, 22(1), 14-27.
- Qadri, H. M. D., & Ali, H. (2024). Islamic Microfinance: Landscape, Models and Future Prospects. In Islamic Microfinance: Landscape, Models and Future Prospects.
- Rafique, M. O. (2025). Impact of the Shariah board’s characteristics on the financial soundness of Islamic banks. In The Routledge Handbook of Islamic Economics and Finance (pp. 320-329).
- Rois, I., & Salahuddin, M. (2022). Islamic Microfinance Institutions, Indonesian Economic Democracy, and Development (A Maqashid Approach System Perspective). Jurnal Iqtisaduna, 8(1), 1-15.
- Shafii, Z., Salleh, S., Hanefah, H. M. M., & Jusoff, K. (2013). Human capital development in Shariah audit. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research, 13(SPLISSUE), 28–34.
- Shikur, A. A., & Akkaş, E. (2024). Islamic Microfinance Services: A Catalyst for Poverty Reduction in Eastern Ethiopia. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, 17(4), 770-788.
- Sudarwanto, A. S., Kharisma, D. B., & Cahyaningsih, D. T. (2023). Islamic Crowdfunding and Shariah Compliance Regulation: Problems and Oversight. Journal of Financial Crime, 31(4), 1022-1036.
- Sueb, M., Syarifah, L., & Putra, R. N. A. (2022). The effect of shariah board characteristics, risk-taking, and maqasid shariah on an Islamic bank’s performance. Banks and Bank Systems, 17(3), 89-101.
- Wijayanti, P., Mohamed, I. S., & Daud, D. (2023). Sustainability of Islamic Microfinance in Indonesia: Exploring the Role of Computerised Accounting Information Systems. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(8).
- Yaş, M., & Aysan, A. F. (2023). Central Advisory Board and the New Shariah Governance Framework for Islamic Banks in Turkey: A Qualitative Approach. In Shariah Governance in Islamic Banking Institutions (pp. 65-79).


