Bogor, Formosa News — Administrative ethics can play a major role in strengthening public trust in government bureaucracy, according to a 2026 systematic literature review by six researchers from Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia. The article examines how transparency, accountability, fairness, and responsiveness influence public perceptions of government institutions and the quality of public services. The researchers reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 and found that these four ethical dimensions work together to improve service quality, citizen satisfaction, institutional legitimacy, and ultimately public trust.
The article was written by Muhammad Husein Maruapey, Risla Amanda Putri, Marshella Rahma Sitompul, Anita Rahmawati, Siska Rahmawati, and Muhammad Haikal, all affiliated with Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia. Published in the International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences (IJARSS) in 2026, the review is relevant to the continuing shift toward a public service model that places citizens at the center of government administration.
Public Trust Begins With Everyday Government Services
The researchers place their analysis within the transition from the traditional Old Public Administration model toward the New Public Service approach. Under the newer perspective, citizens are not simply recipients of government decisions. They are the primary focus of public services, while government institutions are expected to emphasize transparency, accountability, participation, and responsiveness.
This shift means that following administrative rules alone is not enough. Public officials are also expected to demonstrate honesty, fairness, responsibility, integrity, and commitment to the public interest.
The article notes that public trust is an important form of social capital. Trust can support the legitimacy of government policies, encourage citizens to comply with regulations, and contribute to the successful implementation of public programs. At the same time, citizens develop their perception of government through their direct experiences with public institutions and the services they receive.
In practical terms, this means that a citizen's experience when requesting information, completing an administrative procedure, submitting a complaint, or accessing a government service can influence broader perceptions of government credibility.
Researchers Reviewed 30 Studies
The researchers used a Systematic Literature Review to bring together findings from previous research. The literature search followed the PRISMA 2020 framework and covered four academic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and SINTA.
The search initially identified 312 articles. After removing 62 duplicate records, 250 articles remained for screening. Researchers then excluded studies that did not meet the criteria, assessed 85 full-text articles, and ultimately included 30 articles in the qualitative synthesis.
The selected studies were compared to identify recurring patterns involving administrative ethics, public trust, transparency, accountability, fairness, integrity, and responsiveness.
This approach allowed the Djuanda University researchers to look beyond individual government institutions and examine how different ethical principles collectively relate to public trust.
Four Ethical Pillars Stand Out
The review identifies four ethical dimensions that repeatedly appear in the literature as important factors in strengthening public trust.
1. Transparency
Transparent government services give citizens access to accurate information about procedures, requirements, processing times, and costs. According to the reviewed literature, openness can reduce information gaps between government institutions and citizens while strengthening public oversight and institutional accountability.
2. Accountability
Accountability requires public officials and institutions to explain and justify administrative decisions and actions. The reviewed studies associate stronger accountability with organizational integrity, better service quality, and greater citizen confidence in government performance.
3. Fairness
Fair treatment is another important foundation of trust. The review highlights the importance of providing services without discrimination based on social status, ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. Fair administration can improve citizens' perception that government decisions are legitimate and impartial.
4. Responsiveness
Citizens also expect government institutions to respond promptly and effectively to their needs and complaints. The reviewed studies indicate that responsive officials can improve service quality, communication, and citizen satisfaction.
Ethics Can Become a Foundation for Trust
Muhammad Husein Maruapey and colleagues at Djuanda University describe administrative ethics as more than a collection of formal rules. Their analysis indicates that ethical behavior can become a strategic governance instrument when it is consistently embedded in organizational culture, public service management, and bureaucratic reform.
In their conceptual framework, stronger administrative ethics can improve public service quality. Better services can increase citizen satisfaction, which can then contribute to the reconstruction and maintenance of public trust in government institutions.
The researchers therefore view trust as part of a continuing cycle rather than a one-time outcome. Consistent ethical conduct can improve services; improved services can increase satisfaction; and greater satisfaction can help strengthen confidence in public institutions.
Organizational Culture Still Matters
The review also identifies factors that can make ethical principles more difficult to implement consistently. These include paternalistic organizational cultures, political pressure, conflicts of interest, and weaknesses in internal supervision and complaint mechanisms.
The researchers stress that establishing ethical regulations alone is insufficient. Ethical standards need to be supported by effective monitoring, organizational commitment, and leadership that reinforces professional standards.
For policymakers and government institutions, the implication is clear: strengthening public trust requires attention not only to policies and procedures but also to how public officials behave and how institutions organize their systems.
For citizens, the practical benefit can be seen in services that provide clearer information, fairer treatment, faster responses, and greater accountability.
Implications for Public Service Reform
The findings can support efforts to strengthen bureaucratic reform by placing ethical conduct alongside administrative efficiency and technological development.
Government institutions can use the four identified dimensions as practical reference points: make service information more accessible, strengthen accountability for decisions, ensure equal treatment, and improve responses to public needs and complaints.
The researchers also acknowledge an important limitation. Their conclusions are based entirely on previously published literature rather than new field data. The review was also restricted to studies from 2015–2025 and selected academic databases. Differences between countries, institutions, cultures, and administrative systems may therefore affect how the findings apply in specific settings.
Even with these limitations, the review provides a clear conceptual message: public trust is closely connected to the ethical quality of government administration.
Author Profile
The article was written by Muhammad Husein Maruapey, Risla Amanda Putri, Marshella Rahma Sitompul, Anita Rahmawati, Siska Rahmawati, and Muhammad Haikal, all affiliated with Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia. The article focuses on administrative ethics, public trust, public services, government bureaucracy, transparency, accountability, fairness, responsiveness, and good governance. The published paper does not provide individual academic degrees for the authors, so no degrees are added to avoid introducing unsupported information.
Research Source
Article Title: The Influence of Administrative Ethics on Public Trust in Government Bureaucracy
Authors: Muhammad Husein Maruapey, Risla Amanda Putri, Marshella Rahma Sitompul, Anita Rahmawati, Siska Rahmawati, and Muhammad Haikal
Affiliation: Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia
Journal: International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences (IJARSS)
Publication Year: 2026
Volume: 4, No. 6
Pages: 595–606
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijarss.v4i6.27
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