Civil Servant Behavior Towards Public Service Compliance: A case study in Makassar City

Abstract

This study examines the behavior of civil servants toward compliance in public service delivery within the bureaucratic framework of Makassar City. Employing a qualitative literature review approach, the research synthesizes contemporary studies published between 2015 and 2024 to analyze how professionalism, ethics, leadership, and organizational culture collectively shape compliance behavior in Indonesia’s public sector. The findings reveal that compliance is not solely a function of regulatory enforcement but rather a product of moral internalization, professional competence, and ethical leadership. Bureaucratic structures characterized by hierarchy and procedural rigidity tend to produce formal rather than substantive compliance, emphasizing rule adherence over ethical responsibility. Conversely, environments that foster trust, reflective leadership, and participatory accountability cultivate intrinsic motivation among civil servants to uphold public service values. The review further underscores that training, merit-based human resource systems, and digital transparency mechanisms are essential in transforming compliance from a rule-bound duty into a professional ethos. Theoretical implications highlight the need for management scholars to reconceptualize compliance as an evolving moral capability shaped by institutional culture and leadership ethics. Practically, the study recommends integrated reform strategies that balance regulatory control with ethical empowerment and community engagement. Ultimately, sustainable compliance in Makassar’s bureaucracy and comparable governance contexts depends on embedding integrity and professionalism within the managerial core of public administration, aligning bureaucratic systems with the ethical aspirations of democratic governance.