The Way to Build a Mosque Accountability Uun Dwi Al Muddatstsir, Tjiptohadi Sawarjuwono Department of Accountancy, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga, Jalan Airlangga No. 4 – 6, Surabaya, Indonesia [email protected], [email protected] Keywords: Accountability, Case Study, Stewardship. Abstract: Using the case study method for Masjid Al Akbar Surabaya, the present study aims to investigate dimensions of honesty and accountability with regards to the applicable law, dimension of the process of accountability, program accountability dimensions, and those of financial accountability. It also seeks to offer an overall evaluation to managers. The results of this research show that Al Akbar Surabaya Mosque management exhibit extraordinary evidence of good governance in comparison with previous research into mosque organization. 1 INTRODUCTION Then, as regards the phrase “do not let the author be reluctant to write it as God teaches it, but let him Accountability, as expressed by Mardiasmo (2006), write”, Ibn Kathir explains that people who are is a way of making parties entrusted with authority experts in the science of writing should not refuse to over something responsible for its conduct, or of act when there is an individual or community asking bringing something that has already been done to the for help. From the above interpretations, it can be attention of the public; it is carried out periodically. concluded that logging every activity involved in a Philosophically, accountability is amanah or a transaction will also provide good information mandate (Triyuwono, 2012). The latter is something applicable to the creation of rill accountability that must be done by a person in accordance with needed by all parties. what is expected of them by the person who entrusts In the year 2013, Masjid Al-Akbar Surabaya or them with that duty. It is suggested, furthermore, Al-Akbar Surabaya Mosque managed funds derived that the person receiving the mandate is not entirely from donors, infaq from the use of mosque facilities free to do as he pleases, but rather is subject to what and its education institute, and a number of other the mandate expects him to do. Islam also requires infaq, amounting to IDR 7,614,874.46. A sum of accountability, as described in the Qur’an surah Al- that size requires those responsible for good record- Baqarah verse 282: keeping and financial disclosure to be held accountable to all local stakeholders. Guidelines and procedures for financial reports for nonprofit or يَا أَيُّ َها ا َّل ِذي َن آ َمنُوا إِذَا تَدَا َي ْنتُ ْم بِدَ ْي ٍن ِإ َل ٰى أَ َج ٍل ُم َس ًّمى َفا ْكتُبُوهُ ۚ religious organizations were set up by financial َو ْليَ ْكتُ ْب َب ْينَ ُك ْم َكا ِت ٌب بِا ْلعَ ْد ِل ۚ َو ََل يَأ ْ َب َكا ِت ٌب أَ ْن يَ ْكتُ َب َك َما َع َّل َمهُ َّ ّللاُ ۚ accounting standards (PSAK) no. 45 (2011). Non- “O believers, at the time when you engage in profit organizations must also make financial reports business activities of not paying cash for a specified to stakeholders. Adebayo (2013) suggests that it time, you should write this down. And let an author should also be taken into consideration that any form among you write it correctly. And do not let the of company ownership, be it private, government, or author be reluctant to write it as God teaches it” (QS. non-profit, needs financial management of its Al-Baqarah: 282). activities. This verse explains that when doing mua'malah Understanding the need to maintain (business related activities), one should write down responsibility towards stakeholders, accounting is a the rights and obligations pertaining to a transaction process of identifying, recording, classifying, in order to keep note of what become rights and presenting, and interpreting financial activities obligations for parties involved in that transaction. through the production of financial statements that will serve as a communication tool and provide 355 Al Muddatstsir, U. and Sawarjuwono, T. The Way to Build a Mosque Accountability. In Proceedings of the Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics Symposium 2018 on Special Session for Indonesian Study (JCAE 2018) - Contemporary Accounting Studies in Indonesia, pages 355-363 ISBN: 978-989-758-339-1 Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved JCAE Symposium 2018 – Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics Symposium 2018 on Special Session for Indonesian Study business information. Furthermore, Riswan (2014) between top management (agent) and the owner contends that reports will provide the financial (principal) – a dynamic relationship that appears in information to be used in the decision-making the form of principal and agent. The right process, thereby not only assisting that process, but information will reduce occurrence of the situation also acting as an information medium on whereby managers have access to information, accountability for all stakeholders. Thus, accounting unknown to outsiders, over the company’s became very important in the mosque as a method of prospects, a condition often referred to as attaining accountability for all parties. Further, asymmetric information. In this case, the principal because funds from the wider community are authorizes the agent to perform the activity of involved, these should become the responsibility of operating the organization. As a consequence of this those involved in managerial decisions regarding authority, the agent has to be held responsible and their use, if the community is to continue to trust that accountable to the principal for his activities they have been invested carefully. (Muhammad, 2006). However, accounting practices Research related to accountability has uncovered outside business are often neglected, with religious the link between it and religion (e.g Kiswanto & organizations being no exception. In general, there is Mukhibat, 2011; Randa, Iwan, Ludigdo, & a perception that implementation of accounting Sukoharsono, 2011). It focused on the link between practices in religious institutions is somewhat less accounting and accountability, and religion with advanced, and a few studies have cautioned that regard to moral and ethical order. Research on the these bodies need the same standards, or at least the organization of the Islamic religion was carried out same degree of attention, as in the private sector. by Simanjuntak and Januarsi (2011), Princess Although it is clear that accounting is not something (2013), and Hanafi (2011). It finds that the managers extraordinary in a religious organization like a of a religious organization need to understand the mosque, since funds from donations from the importance of transparency as an embodiment of general public are involved, religious organizations honesty, but that they still have shortcomings in are expected to manage and report on them in detail terms of human resources that are weak in in order to be accountable for their use. comprehending good accountability within the Accountability is not just about compliance with organization. applicable standards or laws, but rather it concerns Moreover, professionalism means a the objectives of the organization and public trust. responsibility to act in a way that more than merely Leaders of nonprofit organizations are under a bright fulfills your own duties as well as the laws and spotlight to pay more attention to forms of regulations of the community (James, Arens, & accountability strategies that can help them achieve Loebbecke, 2008). Lekatompessy (2003) elucidates the mission of their organization and create public the opinion that someone can be considered confidence Alnoor (2010). In their study, professional if he meets three criteria: has the skills Simanjuntak and Januarsi (2011) explain that to carry out tasks in accordance with his field; accounting practices in a religious organization will carries out a task or professional job by adhering to not interfere with its activities; rather, they will help standards of the profession and the duty; and create its integrated financial information that is complying with the ethics of the profession. useful for increased funding and good financial Therefore, a person deemed to be professional is management. Therefore, the executive board of an someone who will manage his task properly. Based organization should already be making good reports on the theory of ‘A Clash of Jurisdictional’ that can be understood by all stakeholders to realize (expressed by Abbott, 1988, in Januarsi & good accountability. This study aims to reveal a Simanjuntak, 2011), there is incompatibility of religious organization's accountability through understanding among different professions to an governance exercised by the trustees of the national extent that triggers conflict between accountants and mosque of Al Akbar Surabaya, whose funds mainly religious leaders. Accounting is also influenced by come from government and the community, so that the understanding of spirituality, through which the community. Furthermore, it serves as an people who possess that trait will be influenced by evaluation of the administrators of the mosque and spiritual understanding, while those who are not adds anti-mainstream literature in qualitative religious will assume that accounting as a science is accounting research. free from spiritual influences. Accountability actually arises as a logical consequence of the existence of a relationship 356 The Way to Build a Mosque Accountability