Internal control and financial viability: the moderating role of leadership qualities on management of income-generating activities at Indonesian higher education

PurposeThe implementation of income-generating still faces problems, such as the lack of well-established internal control and differences in implementation in each unit. This study aims to analyze internal controls, financial viability (FV) and leadership qualities (LQ) in the implementation of income-generating in Indonesian higher education.Design/methodology/approachThis study is quantitative and uses a causal approach. The population of this research is the unit leader and the person in charge of the activity that generates income, with a total sample of 111 people. The sampling technique used is simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using moderation regression analysis (MRA) with the WrapPLS (partial least square) analysis tool.FindingsThe results indicate that internal control and FV significantly affect the management of income-generating. The existence of LQ as a moderating variable can moderate and weaken the influence of internal controls and FV on the management of income-generating. In this finding, the unit leader and the person in charge of activities that generate income in higher education need to improve managerial skills, including ethics, uphold integrity, clear vision, quick adaption, honestly and trust so that the management of income-generating can achieve higher education goals more effectively and efficiently.Research limitations/implicationsThis research shows that universities need to create a good environment to build an ecosystem that can improve the management. The university encourages the good management by strengthening the leadership. However, the research has a limitation: the study was only conducted in one state university.Originality/valueThe implementation of income generation in the public financial management system of legal entity universities requires accountability for sources of income so that internal controls and the role of finance are needed to ensure the continuity of universities.