Contemporary organizational leadership models are often trapped in a materialistic paradigm, neglecting

spiritual and ethical dimensions. This leads to a failure to address issues of social justice and employee wellbeing

holistically, causing widespread dissatisfaction within corporate structures and public administration. However,

studies integrating the concept of karamah insaniah (respect for human dignity) into the framework of Islamic

and humane organizational ecosystem, far from exploitative models. The implication is clear: this leadership

model based on karamah insaniah offers a critical and urgent alternative for reforming management practices

The striking paradox—how an organization supposedly founded on human values often becomes an arena of

exploitation—forces us to re-examine the foundations of leadership. Large corporations trumpet "human

resources as the primary asset," yet at the same time, profit pressures and toxic work cultures cause widespread

suffering among staff, a repulsive irony. This moral crisis, culminating in various corporate scandals and abuses

of power, exposes the fragility of a management ideology dominated solely by capitalist logic, where profit

insaniah framework can be operationally integrated into Islamic leadership models still appear vague; existing

literature often gets stuck in religious rhetoric without offering a pragmatic blueprint. Many scholars discuss

"Islamic leadership" generically, but rarely does anyone unravel in detail how this concept of human dignity, so

emphasized in the Quran and Sunnah, translates into daily leadership actions and decisions. This is a serious

weakness. Why does no one truly care to address this gap? This gap screams for attention, an intellectual void

that must be filled. This conceptual study attempts to fill that void, offering a fresh perspective on the urgent

need to reposition karamah insaniah as the cornerstone of organizational leadership practices. We need a

Many scholars (e.g., Al-Attas, 1995) emphasize the importance of adab (manners) and akhlak (morality) in

if it only requires adaptation to existing molds rather than offering a genuine alternative. The concept of karamah

insaniah—human dignity—is firmly grounded in Quranic verses (e.g., Surah al-Isra’ verse 70). Scholars like

Fazlur Rahman (1982) view it as a God-given fundamental right that cannot be violated. However, interpretations

of the implications of this karamah for social and organizational structures, particularly in management, often

stop at the individualistic level, emphasizing personal responsibility alone, rather than how it forms the basis of

a just system—this is a significant limitation that restricts the concept's potential. Hashim (2012) attempts to

broaden the scope of karamah to the dimension of social justice, a bolder and more relevant view for

organizational contexts—however, how it translates into performance metrics or reward structures remains an

unresolved mystery. The call to apply Islamic ethics in organizational management is not new; many scholars

(e.g., Ali & Al-Owaihan, 2008) discuss Islamic work ethic and argue that it leads to productivity and job

satisfaction. Nevertheless, this narrative often revolves around a prescriptive framework—"it should be this

behavior (OB) studies (such as Robbins & Judge, 2017) focus on motivation, performance, and leadership styles

based on secular psychology and sociology. When Islamic scholars try to inject Islamic values into this

framework, the result often appears as a patchwork rather than a holistic organic integration (Al-Aidaros, 2012);

this leads to the question: is the concept of karamah insaniah merely a minor improvement to existing models,

or does it demand a comprehensive reform of our understanding of organizational goals and operations? This is

a major issue that every serious thinker must consider. Some (e.g., Yusuf, 2011) argue that Islamic values can

enrich OB, but their arguments, unfortunately, tend not to challenge the fundamental assumptions of Western

OB, instead merely 'embellishing' it, avoiding deep intellectual confrontation. This entire literature review

reveals a significant gap: there is a strong moral demand for just and ethical Islamic leadership, yet the translation

of the karamah insaniah concept into an operational framework for organizational management remains loose

This study, consciously and deliberately, chose a conceptual analysis approach—not by chance, but as a

methodological decision intensely debated in academic discourse. In the social sciences arena, where the urge

for 'empirical data' often outweighs the need for a solid theoretical foundation, such a study dares to go against

the current, acknowledging that some problems cannot be measured by numbers alone. The problem we are

trying to solve—the crisis of human dignity in organizations under supposedly 'ethical' leadership—is not an

issue that can be measured merely through superficial surveys or interviews; it is an epistemological crisis that

requires the reconstruction of fundamental thought frameworks. We believe that before we can meaningfully

measure anything, we must first understand what needs to be measured, and more importantly, why we should

care. The document selection process was intricate, not just haphazardly browsing databases or relying on

shallow keyword searches. We began by delving into classical Islamic works—specifically from the Quran,

methodology, was conducted systematically and iteratively, not a linear process that can be performed by a

machine. Each text was carefully examined, not to find 'what' was literally said, but to unravel 'how' and 'why' a

concept was expressed in its broader context. Initial codes—such as justice, trust, shura (consultation), ihsan

(excellence), and social responsibility—were identified, then refined and categorized into larger themes, with

particular attention to how karamah insaniah was implied or neglected in each discourse. This was not merely

summarizing; it was an effort of deep interpretation and synthesis, a task demanding patience, diligence, and

high intellectual proficiency, to ensure every layer of meaning could be thoroughly peeled back to its roots. The

thematic synthesis process required a higher level of conceptual thinking—it involved reorganizing fragments

of information into a coherent and meaningful narrative. As themes emerged from the content analysis, we began

to search for causal and correlative relationships between them; for example, how the concept of justice in Islam

is directly linked to the respect for karamah insaniah, and how this, in turn, shapes a just and ethical leadership

primary criteria determining the quality and intellectual contribution of this study. Of course, the main challenge

of this approach is the inability to empirically test the proposed framework in real-world contexts—a limitation

we honestly and transparently acknowledge. But the contribution of this study lies in providing a solid theoretical

foundation, a model that will serve as a valuable guide for future empirical research, as well as a critical tool for

evaluating existing, often problematic, leadership practices. It is a beginning, not an end, to a larger discussion,

a much-needed contribution to literature often stuck in unproductive repetition and unwilling to challenge the

True leadership, ultimately, is a reflection of obedience to the Divine—something often forgotten in the hustle

and bustle of the corporate world. The concept of karamah insaniah is not just sweet rhetoric about 'respecting

trust. The failure to understand this direct relationship between karamah and justice is why many supposedly

"Islamic" organizations are still trapped in exploitative practices, as if this fundamental principle is only meant

to be read on walls, not to be embodied in every decision made. Empathy in leadership is not about crocodile

tears or merely sweet words easily uttered at formal events; it is a critical competence founded on a deep

appreciation for karamah insaniah—a quality that must reside in the soul of every true leader. Leaders who

practice karamah insaniah will transcend a purely profit-driven framework, seeing employees not as 'resources'

to be exploited to achieve business goals, but as entities with rights, aspirations, and noble souls. They will

actively engage in understanding the challenges faced by employees, ensuring fair wage policies commensurate

with effort, equitable development opportunities that unlock potential, and a work environment free from all

forms of oppression—physical or psychological. This demands the courage to reject management models solely

where every individual can grow and contribute their full potential, without feeling threatened by injustice or

discrimination. Imagine a workplace where respect is the most valuable primary currency, no longer merely rank

or wealth—it would be an unimaginable revolution for ordinary management thinkers trapped in old thought

symptoms but not curing the disease. Building a humane organizational ecosystem, as identified in this study's

findings, is not merely a cosmetic improvement to look good in public; it demands a radical paradigm shift, a

human-centered organizations often demonstrate better and more sustainable long-term performance (Spreitzer

& Porath, 2012), proving that ethics and profit are not necessarily contradictory. Therefore, ignoring karamah

insaniah is not only irresponsible ethical negligence but also a costly and detrimental strategic error. The practical

implications of this conceptual analysis are significant, and they demand more serious discussion among

policymakers and managers at all levels. How do we bridge the gap between the idealistic discourse of karamah

insaniah and the harsh and challenging reality of management? This requires a re-exploration of corporate

governance principles, ethical assessment models, and human capital development systems. Do our human

resource departments truly function as guardians of karamah insaniah, or merely as administrative tools to

enforce rules and control employees? These are questions that must be answered honestly and transparently. We

must challenge the narrative that profit and ethics are two conflicting entities; it is a false narrative that has