Waqf vs Non-Waqf Ownership and Pesantren Management in Indonesia: A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda

Ali Muhlisin; Zulkiple Abd Ghani; Muhamad Towil Akhirudin

doi:10.61159/eg3y1s69

Authors

Ali Muhlisin Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Zulkiple Abd Ghani Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Muhamad Towil Akhirudin University of Darunnajah

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61159/eg3y1s69

Keywords:

pesantren; waqf ownership; institutional governance; stewardship theory; accountability; strategic management; Indonesia

Abstract

This conceptual review examines how ownership status (waqf versus non-waqf) shapes institutional governance and core management practices in Indonesian pesantren. While Indonesia hosts more than 39,000 pesantren serving nearly 5 million students, and while over 18,000 of these institutions reportedly operate on waqf assets, the pesantren studies literature has treated governance, leadership, financing, and waqf largely in isolation, leaving ownership status under-theorised as an explanatory lens. Drawing on a structured thematic synthesis of 62 scholarly sources published between 2010 and 2025, identified through Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Indonesian indexing portals (Sinta, Garuda), this paper develops an integrative framework that links ownership status to governance mechanisms, authority structure, accountability arrangements, and stakeholder oversight, which, in turn, influence four critical management domains: (1) institutional governance and decision-making, (2) asset and financial management, (3) leadership succession and sustainability, and (4) strategic planning and organisational learning. The framework integrates institutional governance theory, agency and stewardship perspectives, strategic management, and Islamic governance principles (amanah, shura, maslahah). It specifies contextual moderators, organisational size, regulatory environment, donor dependence, local socio-religious networks, and digital capability, and formulates seven testable propositions for future comparative research. Ownership-type distinctions (waqf ahli versus waqf khayri versus non-waqf) and the emerging role of digital waqf technology are incorporated as moderating conditions. The paper contributes by (a) positioning ownership status as a foundational governance condition, (b) clarifying mechanisms through which waqf constraints and stewardship norms affect managerial discretion, and (c) offering a research agenda and practical implications for pesantren leaders, waqf managers (nazhir), and policy stakeholders seeking more transparent and sustainable governance models.

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