ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF GORONTALO PROVINCE

Abstract

Public service is one of the main pillars in realizing good governance. However, in many regions, including Gorontalo Province,  service  quality  still  faces  various  challenges  such  as  low  responsiveness  of  officials, slow bureaucracy, and suboptimal public satisfaction. This condition emphasizes the urgency of conducting a  study  on  internal  organizational  factors,  particularly  leadership  behavior  and  organizational  culture, which are believed to play an important role in improving public service quality. This study aims to analyze the influence of leadership behavior and organizational culture on the quality of public services within the Gorontalo Provincial Government. The method used is a survey with a mixed methods approach, involving 73 respondents randomly selected from a total population of 270 employees, supported by qualitative data through interviews, observations, and documentation studies. The results of the study show that leadership behavior contributes significantly to improving the quality of public services by 25.2%, while organizational culture has an influence of 31%.  Simultaneously, these two variables contribute 73.2% to the quality of public services, with the  remainder  being  influenced  by  other  factors.  These  findings  imply  that  strengthening transformational leadership and developing a positive organizational culture are key strategies for realizing responsive, transparent, and accountable public services at the local government level.