Issue

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026): December

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Submitted
8 January 2026
Accepted
13 October 2026
Published
13 October 2026

Copyright (c) 2026 Nurmal Idrus, Andi Adawiah (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

When Informal Institutions Perform: Patronage, Local Culture, and Civil Servant Performance in Indonesia

https://doi.org/10.24252/minds.v13i3.64431
Nurmal Idrus
Universitas Lamappapoleonro, Indonesia
Andi Adawiah
Universitas Lamappapoleonro, Indonesia

Corresponding Author(s) : Nurmal Idrus

[email protected]

Jurnal Minds: Manajemen Ide dan Inspirasi, Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026): December

Abstract

Indonesian bureaucratic reform presumes that merit displaces informal ties, yet local civil servants remain embedded in cultural norms and patronage networks. This study examines how local culture, patronage networks, and social embeddedness jointly shape civil servant performance. Drawing on institutional theory, we specify informal institutions as both resources and constraints on bureaucratic behavior. We surveyed 370 civil servants in four local governments in South Sulawesi Province and analyzed the data with partial least squares structural equation modeling. Local culture relates positively to performance, directly and indirectly through social embeddedness. Patronage networks show the strongest positive association with performance, and social embeddedness also predicts performance. Social embeddedness, however, weakens the patronage–performance relationship. The model explains 56.3% of the variance in performance. The findings demonstrate that informal institutions do not simply corrupt merit; they substitute for one another in enabling performance. Public managers should channel embedded relational capital into formal performance systems rather than rely on patronage-based coordination.

Keywords

Civil Servant Performance Informal Institutions Local Culture Patronage Networks Social Embeddedness
Idrus, N., & Adawiah, A. (2026). When Informal Institutions Perform: Patronage, Local Culture, and Civil Servant Performance in Indonesia. Jurnal Minds: Manajemen Ide Dan Inspirasi, 13(3), 663–676. https://doi.org/10.24252/minds.v13i3.64431
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Author Biographies

Nurmal Idrus, Universitas Lamappapoleonro

Department of Master of Management

Andi Adawiah, Universitas Lamappapoleonro

Department of Master of Management

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