Governance of Islamic social finance: learnings from existing literature

Purpose: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature pertaining to the governance of Islamic social finances (ISF). The primary aim is to identify and highlight global research patterns and deliver noteworthy insights that can be gleaned by ISF institutions worldwide. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a hybrid approach, incorporating both bibliometric and content analysis methodologies. The authors curated a data set comprising 73 scholarly documents (articles) obtained from the Scopus database, covering the period from 2010 to 2023. The data collection process was conducted in March 2023. VOSviewer and content analysis were used to analyze the collected data. Findings: The authors unveiled six distinct categories derived from the available literature on governance in ISF. These categories encompassed accountability, governance practice, performance, efficiency, Islamic accounting and governance awareness. Extensive deliberations have taken place regarding these six categories to enhance their prominence among ISF institutions. Furthermore, the findings of this study provided valuable directions for future research in this domain. Research limitations/implications: The use of English articles obtained from the Scopus database in this study ensured that the selected papers were of a significant standard of excellence within the specific realm of knowledge under examination. Practical implications: Enhancing governance practice within ISF institutions could enhance their overall performance, thereby playing a crucial role in optimizing their contributions to societal and economic contexts. Social implications: This endeavor served as a means to enlighten numerous stakeholders regarding social finance institutions, fostering an environment of informed decision-making and effective governance that aligns with the principles of Islamic economics. Originality/value: This study represents a pioneering bibliometric publication on the governance of ISF, providing academics with a robust basis for comprehending the evolving landscape of literature within this specific area of research.