Designing the Internal Relationships of Ethical Governance Dimensions Based on the Themes of Nahjul-Balagha Using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM)

Abstract

This study aims to design and explain the internal and hierarchical relationships among the dimensions of ethical governance based on the themes of Nahjul-Balagha using the Interpretive Structural Modeling approach. This applied qualitative study employed a two-stage design. In the first stage, qualitative content analysis was used to extract the dimensions and components of ethical governance from Nahjul-Balagha. In the second stage, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) was applied to analyze the internal relationships among the identified dimensions. The expert panel consisted of 12 faculty members in public administration, Islamic management, political science, and Islamic studies, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structural self-interaction matrix and analyzed through the six-step ISM procedure. The results indicated that “wisdom-based governance” occupies the foundational level of the model and exerts influence over all other dimensions. “Virtue-based governance” and “rule-based governance” were positioned at the next level, demonstrating a reciprocal relationship and influencing “people-based governance” and “social ethical governance.” These dimensions, in turn, facilitate the realization of “service-based governance” as the ultimate outcome of the ethical governance system. The extracted model reveals that ethical governance in Nahjul-Balagha follows a coherent and hierarchical structure in which rationality and wisdom constitute the core foundation, enabling ethical conduct, social morality, and effective public service delivery, and offering a context-specific framework for improving governance systems.