Leadership and Accountability in Faith-Based Institutions: Evidence from UK Mosques

TY - JOUR

T1 - Leadership and Accountability in Faith-Based Institutions

T2 - Evidence from UK Mosques

AU - Riaz, Umair

AU - Halari, Anwar

AU - Burton, Bruce

AU - Dunne, Theresa

PY - 2026/5/15

Y1 - 2026/5/15

N2 - This study investigates accountability in religious institutions on the basis of evidence obtained from interviews with relevant parties in UK mosques. We mobilize prior theoretical contention regarding servant leadership and constraints on personal accountability to expose perceptions of seriously deficient discharge outcomes. In particular, we argue that a need exists for clear accountability boundaries in faith-based institutions, ideally founded on spiritual morality. Such a development would address the problems caused by the undefined nature of the responsibilities that mosque managers face, which, we argue, may be causing a reluctance among those individuals with ethical propensities to put themselves forward as leaders. We suggest that this outcome represents a form of adverse selection where individuals with self-serving inclinations—unlike their more ethically minded counterparts—are able to disregard the expectations placed upon them, with the result that they can often be found in charge of the institutions concerned. This conclusion supports the perspective of Messner and others that a meaningful degree of personal accountability is unrealistic when discharge demands are excessive and inexhaustible.

AB - This study investigates accountability in religious institutions on the basis of evidence obtained from interviews with relevant parties in UK mosques. We mobilize prior theoretical contention regarding servant leadership and constraints on personal accountability to expose perceptions of seriously deficient discharge outcomes. In particular, we argue that a need exists for clear accountability boundaries in faith-based institutions, ideally founded on spiritual morality. Such a development would address the problems caused by the undefined nature of the responsibilities that mosque managers face, which, we argue, may be causing a reluctance among those individuals with ethical propensities to put themselves forward as leaders. We suggest that this outcome represents a form of adverse selection where individuals with self-serving inclinations—unlike their more ethically minded counterparts—are able to disregard the expectations placed upon them, with the result that they can often be found in charge of the institutions concerned. This conclusion supports the perspective of Messner and others that a meaningful degree of personal accountability is unrealistic when discharge demands are excessive and inexhaustible.

KW - accountability

KW - interviews

KW - leadership

KW - morality

KW - mosques

U2 - 10.1111/faam.70038

DO - 10.1111/faam.70038

M3 - Article

SN - 0267-4424

JO - Financial Accountability and Management

JF - Financial Accountability and Management

ER -