Examining technology improvement, procedural application and governance on the effectiveness zakat distribution

Purpose This study aims to examine the factors influencing the effectiveness of zakat distribution to university students. Specifically, it examines technology improvement, procedural application and governance on Sarawak university students’ zakat distribution effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach This study used the questionnaire as a research instrument and divided it into five parts. Part A gathers demographic information of respondents. Part B measures the respondent’s opinion on current technology improvement. Part C measures university students’ opinion on zakat application procedures. Part D measures the governance concept of the zakat institution. Part E measures the effectiveness of zakat distribution. Findings This study found technology improvement and governance significantly influence the effectiveness of zakat distribution to university students. This study provides no significant influence of the procedural application on zakat distribution’s efficacy to university students. Research limitations/implications This study suggested that technology plays an essential role in zakat distribution effectiveness by providing faster data processing, easier retrieval of information and time reduction to complete a task. The enforcement of good governance by zakat institutions allows them to be competitive, meets the stakeholders’ demand and serves them better. Practical implications This study provides understanding to the zakat institutions in developing appropriate zakat distribution strategies and strengthening their management and governance system. Originality/value This paper integrates technology improvement, procedural application and governance in zakat distribution.