Cultural Sustainability of Profit Sharing Among Minangkabau Migrant Entrepreneurs: A Study of the Mato System in Padang Restaurants

Abstract

Introduction: Culturally embedded economic systems face significant challenges amid modernization, urbanization, changing employment relations, and increasing demands for business efficiency. Nevertheless, some local economic practices have demonstrated remarkable resilience because they function not merely as economic mechanisms but also as integral components of their communities’ social and cultural identities. This study aims to analyze the cultural sustainability of the Mato System as a profit-sharing mechanism practiced in Padang restaurants owned by Minangkabau migrants in Palembang, Indonesia.

Methods: The study employs a qualitative approach with an ethnographic design. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews with the owner and employees of Palapa Restaurant, and documentation of business practices. The data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model with the support of NVivo 12, while the credibility of the findings was strengthened through source and methodological triangulation.

Results: The findings reveal that the sustainability of the Mato System is shaped by three interrelated mechanisms. First, cultural continuity is maintained through the preservation and transmission of the values of justice, togetherness, trustworthiness, responsibility, and the Minangkabau philosophy of Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah (custom is founded upon Islamic law, and Islamic law is founded upon the Qur’an). Second, social cohesion is fostered through trust, deliberation, solidarity, and relational accountability between the business owner and employees. Third, economic adaptability is reflected in the system’s capacity to make technical adjustments in response to changes in the business environment without compromising its core values. The findings further demonstrate that muraqabah reinforces these three mechanisms through the spiritual awareness that all business activities are conducted under the constant supervision of Allah.

Conclusion and suggestion: This study proposes the concept of adaptive cultural sustainability, whereby the continuity of local economic practices is achieved not through the static preservation of tradition, but through the maintenance of core cultural values alongside the adaptation of operational practices to changing circumstances. The Mato System therefore demonstrates that local wisdom can function simultaneously as an economic resource, a mechanism of social governance, and a foundation for long-term business sustainability Future research could test the applicability of the adaptive cultural sustainability model in other Padang restaurants across different migrant destinations or compare it with culturally based profit-sharing systems in other Indonesian communities.