How Ethical Leadership Is Practiced in Public Bureaucracy: A Qualitative Inquiry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61194/ijjm.v7i3.2251Keywords:
ethical leadership, public bureaucracy, phenomenology, moral reflectionAbstract
This study explores how ethical leadership is practiced and experienced by senior bureaucratic leaders in Indonesian public institutions. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis involving eight experienced leaders from central and regional government organizations. The findings reveal three interrelated dimensions of ethical leadership: exemplary behavior, moral courage in high-risk decision-making, and relational justice toward subordinates, particularly in regulatory gray areas. These results suggest that ethical leadership is enacted as a contextually grounded and reflective moral practice, extending beyond formal compliance. The study highlights the relevance of integrating moral reasoning into leadership development while providing an experience-based perspective on ethical leadership in public administration.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jemi Pabisangan Tahirs, Otto Randa Payangan, Angelino Dos Santos, Muhammad Ichwan Musa, Yogi Hady Afrizal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
