Work Discipline of Civil Servants in Decentralized Governance: Evidence from Welesi District, Jayawijaya Regency

Abstract

Work discipline is widely recognized as a cornerstone of effective public administration, particularly in decentralized governance contexts where local capacity strongly determines service quality. This study aims to analyze the level of work discipline among civil servants in Welesi District, Jayawijaya Regency, focusing on five indicators: objectives and ability, leadership, compensation, sanctions, and supervision. Using a descriptive quantitative design with saturated sampling of all eight civil servants in the district, data were collected through structured questionnaires, observation, and literature review, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results show that overall discipline is at a “fairly good” level, supported primarily by effective supervision and the presence of sanctions, while leadership is moderately strong but inconsistent. Compensation emerged as the weakest dimension, reflecting inequities and the absence of performance-based incentives, whereas employees displayed motivation yet lacked adequate technical skills, especially in digital competence. These findings align with previous studies emphasizing the role of fairness, supervision, and leadership in sustaining discipline, but they also confirm that inadequate compensation and limited skills undermine long-term commitment and effectiveness. The study demonstrates that discipline in Welesi District is maintained more by external controls than by intrinsic motivation, a situation that risks fragility in the face of structural or resource challenges. The findings underscore the importance of integrating supervision with compensation reform, leadership development, and capacity building. By linking localized evidence with broader theoretical debates, this study contributes to the understanding of civil servant discipline and offers practical recommendations for strengthening governance in rural districts.