Work culture and public service ethics in the modern era
Keywords:
work culture, public service ethics, modern era, digital transformation, civil service professionalism, integrity, digital literacy, good governanceAbstract
The development of digital technology and the demands of good governance have fundamentally transformed work culture and public service ethics in the modern era. This article aims to examine the relationship between the transformation of work culture, ethical challenges, and strategies for enhancing professionalism in public service through a systematic literature review. The findings indicate that digitalisation is driving a shift in work culture values from rigid hierarchies towards collaboration, innovation, and a digital mindset, whilst simultaneously presenting new ethical dilemmas such as the protection of personal data, algorithmic bias, the dehumanisation of services, and technological access inequalities. Key findings reveal that professionalism among public servants requires more than just technical competence; it necessitates moral resilience, ethical digital literacy, and a commitment to principles of social justice. Effective strategies for enhancing service ethics include continuous ethics education, exemplary leadership, integrity-based reward and punishment systems, participatory codes of ethics, and internal and external oversight involving the public. This study concludes that an ethical and professional work culture is a crucial foundation for realising fair, inclusive, transparent, and sustainable public services in the dynamic digital age.
Downloads
References
Ali, N. M., Jangga, R., Ismail, M., Kamal, S. N. I. M., & Ali, M. N. (2015). Influence of leadership styles in creating quality work culture. Procedia Economics and Finance, 31, 161-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)01143-0
Anderson, N., Poto?nik, K., & Zhou, J. (2014). Innovation and creativity in organizations: A state-of-the-science review, prospective commentary, and guiding framework. Journal of management, 40(5), 1297-1333.
Antika, Y., Sabila, M., Natalia, D., Sari, D. A., & Nuddin, I. (2025). Digitalisasi pelayanan publik di era Revolusi Industri 4.0. Jurnal Riset Multidisiplin Edukasi, 2(5), 358-369.
Bisara, M. T. N., & Suyatna, I. N. (2025). Abuse of authority by ASN and state officials reviewed from administrative law. Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Pendidikan, 11(4. C), 118-124.
Bondarouk, T., Parry, E., & Furtmueller, E. (2017). Electronic HRM: four decades of research on adoption and consequences. The International Journal of human resource management, 28(1), 98-131.
Budijaya, M. I., & Situmeang, M. (2025). Transformasi digital dalam tata kelola pemerintahan: Analisis efektivitas pelayanan publik berbasis aplikasi di era society 5.0. All Fields of Science Journal Liaison Academia and Sosiety, 5(2), 1-13.
Cahyarini, F. D. (2021). Implementasi digital leadership dalam pengembangan kompetensi digital pada pelayanan publik. Jurnal Studi Komunikasi Dan Media, 25(1), 47-60.
Cooper, T. L. (2012). The responsible administrator: An approach to ethics for the administrative role. John Wiley & Sons.
Denhardt, R. B., & Denhardt, J. V. (2000). The new public service: Serving rather than steering. Public administration review, 60(6), 549-559.
Dwiyanto, A. (2018). Good Governance dan Reformasi Birokrasi. Jakarta: Pustaka LP3ES.
Eliyah, E., & Aslan, A. (2025). Stake’s Evaluation Model: Metode Penelitian. In Prosiding Seminar Nasional Indonesia (Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 117-129).
Estiningsih, M. (2023). Indonesia cakap digital melalui kegiatan literasi digital bagi seluruh aparatur sipil negara (asn). J-MAS: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 1(5), 695-704.
Farazmand, A. (Ed.). (2023). Global encyclopedia of public administration, public policy, and governance. Springer Nature.
Ibrahim, A. H. H., Sudin, I., Kemhay, H., Namsa, M. R., & Pora, L. (2025). Digital transformation in public services: Political challenges and global implications. International Journal of Social Sciences, 8(3), 72-78. https://doi.org/10.21744/ijss.v8n3.2409
Indrayani, I. I. (2022). Retorika dan Power Relations: Strategi Restorasi Citra Kepolisian Republik Indonesia pada Kasus Ferdy Sambo. KOMUNIKATIF: Jurnal Ilmiah Komunikasi, 11(2), 165-178.
Johannes, R. A. (2024). Optimalisasi Smart ASN dalam mendukung transformasi birokrasi di era digital di Provinsi Sulawesi Utara. Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi Pemerintahan Daerah, 16(2), 151-165.
Kasnelly, S., & Habibah, K. (2025). Dampak Kebijakan Moneter Terhadap Penilaian Pasar Modal: Studi Kasus Obligasi Dan Saham Di Indonesia. Zona Keuangan: Program Studi Akuntansi (S1) Universitas Batam, 15(1).
Katharina, R. (2021). Pelayanan publik & pemerintahan digital Indonesia. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.
Laelawati, K. (2025). Membangun SDM yang Produktif di Era Kerja Fleksibel: Analisis Tantangan dan Solusi dalam Pengelolaan Remote dan Hybrid Work. Paradoks: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi, 8(2), 566-576.
Lewis, C. W., & Gilman, S. C. (2005). The ethics challenge in public service: A problem-solving guide. John Wiley & Sons.
Mareta, F. C., & Fakih, F. (2024). Mekanisme Akuntabilitas Pelayanan Publik. Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi Dan Studi Kebijakan (JIASK), 6(2), 231-240.
Mariyam, S. (2007). Pergeseran Kebijakan Dalam Pelayanan Publik Pada Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN)(Dalam Perspektif Hukum dan Kebijaksanaan Publik) (Doctoral dissertation, Program Pasca Sarjana Universitas Diponegoro).
Osborne, S. (2020). Public service logic: Creating value for public service users, citizens, and society through public service delivery. Routledge.
Raharjo, M. M. I. (2022). Manajemen pelayanan publik. Bumi Aksara.
Rahman, H. (2022). Reformasi Birokrasi: Korupsi Dalam Birokrasi Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi Pemerintahan Daerah, 14(1), 135-161.
Rojabi, M. A. (2025). Transformasi digital dalam pelayanan publik. Afdan Rojabi Publisher.
Sedarmayanti, S. H. (2012). Strategi penguatan etika dan integritas birokrasi dalam rangka pencegahan korupsi guna meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan. Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi: Media Pengembangan Ilmu dan Praktek Administrasi, 9(3), 05-05.
Shalsabila, N., Putra, R., Iriani, A., & Chairani, A. L. (2025). Implementasi core values ASN BerAKHLAK dalam meningkatkan kinerja pegawai pada Kejaksaan Negeri OKU Selatan. Jurnal Pemerintahan dan Politik, 10(1), 152-169.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 104, 333-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Van de Walle, S. (2017). Trust in public administration and public services. Trust at risk: Implications for EU, 118.
Verbeeten, F. H., & Speklé, R. F. (2015). Management control, results-oriented culture and public sector performance: Empirical evidence on new public management. Organization studies, 36(7), 953-978.
Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of business research, 122, 889-901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
Wati, P. S., Raudah, S., & Anjasmari, N. M. M. (2024). Pengaruh budaya kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan pada dinas perpustakaan dan kearsipan kabupaten balangan. Jurnal Keuangan Daerah, Pusat Dan Kearsipan, 1(1), 89-96.
Wijaya, W., Nugroho, L. M. T., Fidyarani, T. P., Ninno, I. E., Lie, D., & Pribadi, R. B. (2022). Gambaran work-life balance karyawan multiple careers yang menerapkan sistem kerja remote. PSIKODIMENSIA, 21(1), 111-122.
Yasin, A. S. Y., Anwar, A., Sagena, U. W., & Masjaya, M. (2024). Analisis Kebijakan Publik Dan Reformasi Birokrasi Dalam Mewujudkan Good Governance. Kompak: Jurnal Ilmiah Komputerisasi Akuntansi, 17(2), 410-418.
Yuliana, S., & Anita, D. (2026). Pelayanan Publik Digital sebagai Instrumen Peningkatan Kepercayaan Masyarakat terhadap Pemerintah. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 4(4), 13973-13980.
Yuswarni, Y., Soedja, D., Balqis, S., & Arizal, A. (2024). Ombudsman dalam peningkatan transparansi dan akuntabilitas pelayanan publik. Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi Negara ASIAN (Asosiasi Ilmuwan Administrasi Negara), 12(1), 160-173.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 International journal of social sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles published in the International Journal of Social Sciences (IJSS) are available under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors retain copyright in their work and grant IJSS right of first publication under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles in this journal, and to use them for any other lawful purpose.
Articles published in IJSS can be copied, communicated and shared in their published form for non-commercial purposes provided full attribution is given to the author and the journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
