Investigating the influence of Islamic police work engagement and ethics on the performance of Sharia police: Moderating role of Islamic leadership

Abstract

This study examines how Islamic work engagement, Islamic work ethics, and Sharia-based transformational leadership affect the performance of Sharia policing in Aceh, Indonesia – the only province in the country where Islamic law is formally implemented. While prior research often focused on the structural and legal frameworks of Islamic governance, limited empirical studies explore the internal psychological and ethical drivers of law enforcement performance in Islamic contexts. Addressing this gap, the study develops and tests a model of faith-based policing performance grounded in Islamic organizational behavior. A quantitative survey was conducted with 378 active Sharia police officers (Wilayatul Hisbah) across 23 districts in Aceh. Respondents were selected through stratified random sampling to ensure proportional representation by rank, region, and function. Data were collected between August and October 2024 using a validated Likert-scale questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test measurement and structural models, including moderation effects. Results show that Islamic work ethics (β = 0.634; p < 0.001) and Islamic work engagement (β = 0.120; p = 0.001) significantly and positively influence Sharia policing performance. Sharia-based transformational leadership also has a positive direct effect (β = 0.261; p < 0.001), but its moderating role is statistically insignificant. These findings emphasize the importance of intrinsic ethical values and personal motivation in shaping law enforcement outcomes. Leadership appears to have a greater direct than moderating impact. The study contributes empirical evidence for enhancing religiously inspired police performance and extends the literature on Islamic governance.