Religious Communication and IWE: A Serial Mediation of Self-reflection (Muhasbah) and Self-reform (Tazkiya-e-nafs)

Abstract

Despite growing research in Islamic work ethics, there is a dearth of literature on underlying mechanism of how it can be enhanced. Drawing upon the social cognitive theory, this study aims to develop and test the serially mediated model that examines the effect of religious communication on Islamic work ethics through self-reflection and self-reform. Using a multistage sampling technique, data is collected from 174 Muslim employees of the Islamic banking industry in Pakistan in one point in time. Results indicate that the indirect effect of serial mediation of religious communication and IWE through self-reflection and self-reform is significant. This research is among the pioneer efforts to investigate the impact of religious communication on Islamic work ethic through serial mediation. Furthermore, the novelty of this study lies in its exploration of the underlying mechanisms for enhancing Islamic work ethics (IWE), a topic that has been relatively under-researched in the context of Islamic work ethics. The practical significance of this research is evident in its potential to guide organizations in designing and implementing religious communication-based strategies aimed at fostering IWE among their employees, thus contributing to the ethical and productive growth of the Islamic work environment.