The Role of Administrative Ethics in Achieving Professional and Transparent Service

Abstract

Public services in Indonesia still face structural challenges in the form of maladministration, low civil servant competence, and limited access to information. This study examines the contribution of administrative ethics to creating professional and transparent public services using a qualitative literature review method. Data sources include journals indexed in SINTA and Scopus, policy documents, and official government reports from 2015 to 2025, which were then analyzed using content analysis and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings indicate that administrative ethics serve as a value foundation that shapes the professionalism of civil servants and supports service transparency, in line with the New Public Service framework (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2015) and the principles of good governance (UNDP, 1997). Its implementation remains hindered by a formalistic bureaucratic culture, gaps in ethical literacy, and weak oversight mechanisms. Strengthening administrative ethics through capacity building for civil servants, fostering an organizational culture of integrity, and digitizing services are strategic prerequisites for substantive bureaucratic reform in Indonesia.