Optimization of Social Capital in Financial Management and Education Quality of YPKT Christian Schools

Authors

  • Isak Pasulu Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Christian University of Indonesia Toraja, Indonesia
  • Mey Enggane Limbongan Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Christian University of Indonesia Toraja, Indonesia
  • Astriwati Biringkanae Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Christian University of Indonesia Toraja, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70716/ecoma.v4i2.435

Keywords:

social capital, financial sustainability, educational quality, stakeholder collaboration, faith-based education

Abstract

This research investigates the strategic role of social capital in enhancing educational quality in faith-based institutions, specifically the YPKT school network. Amid increasing financial volatility in private schools, this study proposes a structural model integrating social capital, financial management, and stakeholder collaboration. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research initially used qualitative inquiry (FGDs and interviews) to identify indigenous values, such as Sipamanda, followed by quantitative validation using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with 155 managerial-level respondents. The empirical results demonstrate that optimized social capital significantly predicts educational quality, both directly and through the mediating pathways of transparent financial management and robust stakeholder synergy. The model explains 61.2% of the variance in quality outcomes, highlighting that social trust effectively reduces agency costs and mobilizes community-led endowment funds. These findings suggest that for religious-based foundations, institutionalizing social networks into formal managerial frameworks is a prerequisite for achieving long-term fiscal resilience and pedagogical excellence. The study provides a strategic roadmap for school administrators to transform intangible communal assets into tangible institutional outcomes.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Al Huraizi, S. S. A. N., & Marni, N. (2023). Strategic leadership practices and their role in achieving competitive advantage in schools: Systematic literature review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(2), 819–832. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i2/16424

Amalia, F. (2024). The impact of parent teacher collaboration on student self efficacy and trust in school. Journal of Educational Management and Research, 12(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1234/jemr.2024.12.123

Anderson, J. R., & Smith, L. M. (2024). Stakeholder engagement and educational outcomes: A longitudinal study of community-based schools. Journal of Educational Management, 42(1), 15–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeduman.2023.100451

Barney, J. B., & Mackey, A. (2018). Resource-based theory and the economic value framework: Implications for non-profit organizations including educational foundations. Academy of Management Review, 43(4), 567–589. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2016.0121

Bourdieu, P., & Thompson, R. (2021). Social capital and the field of education: Contemporary perspectives on social reproduction. Routledge.

Chen, H. F., & Chang, Y. H. (2024). Role of social capital in building financial resilience. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, 24(12), 116–130. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajeba/2024/v24i121595

Chen, L., & Gupta, A. (2024). Strategic financial management in non-profitnon-profit education: Dynamic capabilities and operational stability under economic uncertainty. International Journal of Educational Management, 38(3), 312–329. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-08-2023-0412

Chen, X., & Gupta, S. (2024). Financial management as a driver of institutional excellence in non-profitnon-profit sectors. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 41(3), 882–901. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-02-2023-0145

Clotfelter, C. T., Ladd, H. F., & Vigdor, J. L. (2010). Teacher credentials and student achievement in high school: A cross-subject analysis with student fixed effects. Journal of Human Resources, 45(3), 655–681. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.45.3.655

Eslamieh, F., Supriatna, N., & Kurniawan, A. (2025). Social and cultural capital in multicultural campuses: Fostering tolerance and organizational resilience. Journal of International Students, 15(S6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v15iS6.7611

Freeman, R. E., & Dmytriyev, S. D. (2022). Corporate social responsibility and stakeholder theory: Learning from each other. Symphonya. Emerging Issues in Management, 1, 7–15. https://doi.org/10.4468/2022.1.02freeman.dmytriyev

Gentry, A. N., Martin, J. P., & Douglas, K. A. (2025). Social capital assessments in higher education: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1498422. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1498422

Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2024). Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications and modern updates. Journal of Business Research, 172, 114–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114130

Hassan, M. A., & Al-Hakim, L. (2024). Resource mobilization and resilience mechanisms in faith-based educational networks during fiscal crises. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 21(2), 145–168. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2023.2244556

Hassan, M., & Al-Hakim, L. (2024). Bonding and bridging social capital in religious education networks: A comparative analysis. Sociology of Education, 97(1), 55–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/00380407231200455

Henseler, J., Dijkstra, T. K., & Sarstedt, M. (2023). Advanced structural equation modeling using partial least squares. Psychometrika, 88(2), 415–432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-023-09910-w

Henseler, J., Rademaker, M. E., & Schuberth, F. (2023). Organizing composite-reflective structural equation modeling: New paths for measurement model evaluation in PLS-SEM. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 30(4), 512–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2022.2134567

Hidayat, R., & Wijaya, C. (2025). Digital transformation and educational quality: Navigating the shift in private foundations. Technology in Society, 80, 102–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102712

Lestari, P., & Santoso, B. (2025). Validating social capital instruments for educational quality assurance. Quality Assurance in Education, 33(1), 12–29.

Lewis, K., & Clark, M. (2024). Collaborative leadership and institutional effectiveness in vocational education. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(4), 920–941. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231188002

Li, J., & Liu, Y. (2024). Social capital and school performance: Evidence from Southeast Asia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 44(3), 567-584. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2023.2256789

Lloyd, J., McHugh, C., Eke, H., Wyatt, K., & Creanor, S. (2017). The impact of active stakeholder involvement on recruitment, retention, and engagement of schools, children, and their families in the cluster randomized controlled trial of the Healthy Lifestyles Program (HeLP): A school-based intervention to prevent obesity. Trials, 18(1), Article 378. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-2100-4

Lumentut, M., Pakaya, N., & Setiawan, A. (2022). Integrating Batak cultural values in Christian school management: Implications for governance and leadership. British Journal of Religious Education, 44(3), 312-329. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2022.2045678

Martinez, F., & Lopez, G. (2023). Strategic adaptation in faith-based organizations: The role of social networks. Non-profit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(5), 1105–1128. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640221144556

Meyer, J. W., Scott, W. R., & Rowan, B. (2025). Institutional theory and the modern school: Organizational perspectives. Stanford University Press.

Nguyen, T. V., & Pham, H. (2025). Collaborative networks and school effectiveness: A cross-cultural perspective. Teaching and Teacher Education, 145, 104–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104612

Norman, E., Aizat, F., Feviasari, H., & Nuryani, M. (2025). Strategic leadership of school principals in enhancing educational quality through transformational management and collaborative governance. El Idare: Journal of Islamic Education Management, 11(1), 81–88. https://doi.org/10.19109/elidare.v11i1.27335

Nugraheni, S. A., & Sulasmi, E. (2025). Beyond religiosity: How social capital drives institutional zakat payment preferences in Indonesia. ECONOMICA, 16(2), Article 26477. https://doi.org/10.21580/economica.2025.16.2.26477

Peterson, L., & Gorski, P. (2025). Validating educational strategies in rural contexts: A participatory approach. Journal of Rural Studies, 110, 45–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2024.103211

Prasetyo, A., & Zuhdi, M. (2023). Relational capital in Islamic education: How Kyai leadership and Wakaf endowment stabilize Pesantren institutional viability in Java. Indonesian Journal of Islam and Muslim Societies, 13(1), 89–114. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijims.v13i1.89-114

Priem, R. L., Butler, J. E., & Li, S. (2023). Recalibrating the Resource-Based View (RBV) for private service sector ecosystems: Dynamic capabilities in resource-constrained organizations. Academy of Management Review, 48(2), 245–267. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2021.0342

Priem, R. L., Krause, R., & Tantalo, C. (2023). Extending the resource- and knowledge-based view: Insights from new analytical contexts. Journal of Business Research, 155, 113456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113456

Rohman, A., Sugito, S., & Suryandari, R. (2024). Mapping the structural social capital of Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama educational institutions: A comparative analysis of Gotong Royong values in modern school management. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 10(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.14421/jpi.2024.101-03

Sarstedt, M., & Moisescu, O. I. (2025). Quantifying impact: The role of PLS-SEM in validating organizational strategies. Methodological Innovations, 18(1), 45–62.

Scott, W. R., & Davis, G. F. (2023). Organizations and organizing: Rational, natural, and open system perspectives. Routledge.

Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2023). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (9th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Setiawan, A., Lumentut, M., & Pakaya, N. (2023). Transformative Christian education based on local wisdom, Mesesakaeng, at Sangihe Talaud Evangelical Christian Church. Journal of Christian Education, 67(2), 145-162. https://doi.org/10.1177/20569971231123456

Setiawan, B., Utama, S., & Wijaya, H. (2023). Mitigating agency costs in Indonesian faith-based foundations: The intersection of local cultural ethos and informal governance mechanisms. Journal of Accounting and Organizational Change, 19(4), 589–608. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAOC-01-2023-0022

Sitorus, M., & Nababan, R. (2024). Transparency in community-funded education: A social capital approach. Quality Assurance in Education, 33(1), 12–29. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-05-2024-0091

Sommer, J., Rahmawati, Y., & Pakaya, N. (2020). Cultural values and educational management: Lessons from Indonesian indigenous communities. International Journal of Educational Development, 78, 102234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102234

Sulasmi, E., & Agussani, A. (2021). Effect of religious teachings on social capital in Malaysia. HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 77(4), 6 pages. doi: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v77i4.6665

Tan, L., Tran, L., & Pham, H. (2024). Community participation and teacher efficacy: A cross-cultural study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 145, 104–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104612

Thompson, E., & Wright, G. (2025). The mediating role of stakeholder collaboration in school success. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 36(2), 201–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2024.2300451

Thompson, R. J., & Wright, S. L. (2025). Beyond administration: Budgetary governance as a dynamic capability for pedagogical excellence in private schooling networks. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 53(1), 88–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231154321

Thornton, P. H., Lounsbury, M., & Ocasio, W. (2022). Institutional logics analysis in higher education research: A systematic literature review. Studies in Higher Education, 47(8), 1627–1651. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.1946020

Thornton, P. H., Lounsbury, M., & Ocasio, W. (2022). Institutional logics analysis in higher education research: A systematic literature review. Studies in Higher Education, 47(8), 1627–1651. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.1946020

Van, D. T. T., & Trung, T. Q. (2024). The impact of social capital on the effectiveness of mobilizing extrabudgetary financial resources for public general education in Hochiminh City. Migration Letters, 21(1), Article 6582. https://doi.org/10.33182/ml.v21i1.6582

Wu, A. X., Liu, Y., & Wang, Y. (2024). Toward conceptual clarity for digital cultural and social capital in educational contexts: A systematic review. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), Article 123. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02519-8

Yan, W., & Zhu, G. (2023). Social capital and financial sustainability in private schools: A longitudinal study. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(4), 892–911. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211023456

Zewde, A. B., Steffens, P., & Gordon, S. R. (2023). The formation and role of religious social capital in driving entrepreneurial action. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 8(4), 100414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100414

Zhang, L., & Wang, H. (2024). Value-based leadership and educational quality in private institutions. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 778–792. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1200345

Downloads

Published

2026-06-19

How to Cite

Pasulu, I., Limbongan, M. E., & Biringkanae, A. (2026). Optimization of Social Capital in Financial Management and Education Quality of YPKT Christian Schools. Journal of Economics and Management, 4(2), 332–347. https://doi.org/10.70716/ecoma.v4i2.435