Bogor, Formosa News — The quality of public services in Indonesia is closely linked not only to regulations, administrative systems, and technology, but also to the ethical values practiced by public officials. A 2026 study by Neng Virly Apriliyani, Muhammad Husein Maruapey, Siti Maryanah, Maldena Zahra, Novitasari, Salsa Allysa, Aldi Nugraha Saputra, and Dian Setyawan of Djuanda University, Bogor, highlights administrative ethics as an important foundation for building professional, transparent, accountable, and public-oriented services.
Published in the International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences (IJARSS), the study examines how ethical principles can contribute to improving public service quality in Indonesia. The researchers found that integrity, transparency, accountability, fairness, professionalism, and responsiveness are closely connected with better service delivery and stronger public trust.
The findings offer an important perspective on public administration: improving services is not solely a matter of introducing new technology or changing procedures. Ethical behavior and a strong organizational culture also play an important role.
Ethics Goes Beyond Following Regulations
Public administration ethics refers to the values, norms, and moral principles that guide public officials when carrying out their responsibilities to society.
According to the researchers from Djuanda University, ethical administration goes beyond simply following formal regulations. It also concerns how officials make decisions, exercise authority, communicate information, respond to citizens, and consider the public interest.
This distinction is important because public services directly affect people's daily lives. Decisions made within government institutions can influence access to administrative documents, healthcare, education, licensing, social services, and other essential services.
When ethical principles are consistently applied, the researchers argue, public services have greater potential to become more professional, fair, transparent, and responsive.
Integrity Becomes a Foundation of Professional Service
One of the central values highlighted in the research is integrity.
Integrity means carrying out public responsibilities honestly, consistently, and responsibly. It also involves maintaining consistency between what officials communicate and what they do in practice.
The study connects strong integrity with responsible use of authority and a focus on public interests. When integrity becomes part of an organization's culture, it can help create an environment where professional responsibilities are taken seriously.
For Neng Virly Apriliyani, Muhammad Husein Maruapey, and their colleagues at Djuanda University, integrity is therefore not simply a personal characteristic. It can become part of the institutional foundation supporting quality public services.
Transparency Makes Services Easier to Understand
Another important principle is transparency.
Citizens need clear information about service procedures, requirements, standards, costs, and expected processes. When this information is accessible, people can better understand what they need to prepare and what they can expect from a public service.
The researchers explain that transparency can reduce misunderstandings while creating greater opportunities for citizens to evaluate services. Accessible information can also contribute to public confidence in government institutions.
In the digital era, transparency can be strengthened through official websites, digital service platforms, online information systems, and other communication channels.
However, the study emphasizes that technology is a supporting tool. The quality of information still depends on the ethical commitment of the people responsible for providing and managing it.
Accountability Gives the Public a Role in Evaluation
The study also identifies accountability as an important element of ethical public administration.
Accountability means that government actions and decisions can be explained and evaluated. Public institutions need mechanisms through which their performance can be assessed, including performance reports, supervision, and public complaint channels.
This creates an opportunity for continuous improvement.
Rather than viewing public feedback only as criticism, accountability mechanisms can provide information about what is working and which aspects of service delivery may need adjustment.
The researchers therefore connect accountability with a broader culture of responsibility within public institutions.
Fairness and Responsiveness Matter to Citizens
The quality of public services is also influenced by fairness and responsiveness.
Fairness means that citizens should receive services without inappropriate discrimination based on their social, economic, religious, ethnic, gender, or physical backgrounds. Public officials are expected to apply service standards objectively while also considering legitimate differences in citizens' circumstances.
Responsiveness, meanwhile, concerns the ability of service providers to understand and address public needs in a timely and appropriate manner.
A responsive service system does not simply process applications. It also listens to complaints, understands community concerns, and provides appropriate solutions.
Together, these principles can help make public services more closely aligned with the needs of citizens.
Researchers Reviewed Literature From 2018 to 2026
The researchers used a qualitative systematic literature review to examine the relationship between public administration ethics and service quality in Indonesia.
They searched academic literature through Google Scholar, Scopus, and SINTA, using keywords related to public administration ethics, service quality, good governance, and public administration. The literature search covered publications from 2018 to 2026.
The researchers initially identified 67 records. After removing duplicates and screening the titles, abstracts, and full texts, 20 primary sources were selected for the final analysis.
The selected sources included peer-reviewed journal articles and government policy documents relevant to public administration ethics and public service quality in Indonesia.
The researchers then synthesized the findings thematically to identify recurring connections between ethical values and service performance.
Ethics and Service Quality Are Closely Connected
The literature reviewed in the study points to a consistent relationship between ethical administration and the quality of public services.
The researchers integrate three perspectives into their analytical framework: Dwight Waldo's ethical indicators, the SERVQUAL dimensions of service quality, and good governance principles.
Waldo's framework emphasizes values including responsibility, dedication, loyalty, sensitivity, equity, and fairness. Meanwhile, SERVQUAL considers service quality through dimensions such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangible aspects of service delivery.
The combination provides the researchers with a broader way to understand how ethical conduct can influence the experience citizens have when receiving public services.
Previous studies reviewed in the article also reinforce the relationship. Research on local government, social services, and healthcare services cited by the authors indicates that transparency, accountability, fairness, reliability, responsiveness, and empathy can contribute to professional and higher-quality services.
Strengthening Ethics Requires More Than Training
The study concludes that strengthening public administration ethics requires continued institutional effort.
The researchers identify several approaches, including ethics education and training, stronger supervision, improved civil servant competence, and the development of organizational cultures centered on integrity and professionalism.
Digitalization is also identified as an important component of bureaucratic reform. However, technology alone cannot guarantee ethical or high-quality service. Digital systems still require people who are accountable, transparent, responsive, and committed to public interests.
The researchers argue that bureaucratic reform should therefore combine structural improvements, procedures, technology, regulations, and ethical culture.
Implications for Public Service Reform
For policymakers and public institutions, the findings suggest that improving service quality requires attention to both systems and human behavior.
Clear procedures can help standardize services, while technology can make access faster and more convenient. But these improvements become more meaningful when supported by officials who demonstrate integrity, communicate transparently, take responsibility for decisions, treat citizens fairly, and respond to public needs.
The researchers from Djuanda University emphasize that ethical values can help build professional services while strengthening public trust in government institutions.
The study does not present ethics as a single solution to every challenge in public administration. Instead, it positions ethics as a fundamental component that needs to operate alongside institutional reform, effective oversight, competent human resources, and appropriate technology.
Ultimately, the research suggests that quality public services begin not only with better systems, but also with the values guiding the people who operate those systems.
Author Profile
Neng Virly Apriliyani, Muhammad Husein Maruapey, Siti Maryanah, Maldena Zahra, Novitasari, Salsa Allysa, Aldi Nugraha Saputra, and Dian Setyawan are affiliated with Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia. Their article focuses on public administration ethics, public service quality, professionalism, transparency, accountability, fairness, responsiveness, and good governance. Neng Virly Apriliyani is listed as the corresponding author.
Research Source
Article Title: The Application of Public Administration Ethics in Improving the Quality of Public Services in Indonesia
Authors: Neng Virly Apriliyani, Muhammad Husein Maruapey, Siti Maryanah, Maldena Zahra, Novitasari, Salsa Allysa, Aldi Nugraha Saputra, and Dian Setyawan
Affiliation: Djuanda University, Bogor, Indonesia
Journal: International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences (IJARSS)
Publication Year: 2026
Volume: 4, No. 7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijarss.v4i6.30
Official Journal: http://ijarss.my.id/index.php/ijarss/index
0 Komentar