Revitalizing ihsan's Role as Mediator to Reduce Lower-Middle-Class Inequality
Keywords:
Business Ethics, Ihsan, Reduction of Socio-Economic Inequality, Social responsibility, Social welfareAbstract
This study investigates the mediating role of ihsān in addressing socio-economic inequality among lower-middle-class communities in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Grounded in Islamic Welfare Theory and Islamic Business Ethics, the research employs Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) based on a sample of 155 respondents. The findings reveal that ihsān significantly mediates the relationship between ethical and social constructs namely, Social Welfare, Business Ethics, and Social Responsibility towards achieving economic justice. Business Ethics and Social Responsibility positively influence ihsān, while Social Welfare acts as a catalyst for ethical behavior. ‘Ih}sa<n emerges not only as a spiritual virtue but also as a transformative construct bridging moral principles and socio-economic justice. This study contributes to the Islamic economics literature by proposing an integrated ethical framework for inclusive development.
Keywords: Business Ethics, ‘Ih}sa<n, Reduction of Socio-Economic Inequality, Social responsibility, Social welfare
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