A model of transparency and effectiveness in public governance: The impact of ethical leadership, legal measures, and participatory administration

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Abstract

Effective public governance necessitates robust transparency systems; nevertheless, the structural interrelationship among the different contributing aspects remains unexamined. This research investigates the impact of ethical leadership, legal measures, organizational culture, participative administration, and operational transparency on governmental performance. The study employs a structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data from Thai government entities that have been recognized with the integrity award. The findings suggest that organizational culture has the greatest direct impact on the performance of the government sector. Legal measures can indirectly enhance the efficiency of the government sector by influencing organizational culture and promoting participative administration. Ethical leadership will markedly enhance operational openness; yet, it will not directly influence the efficiency of the governmental sector. Ultimately, openness demonstrates a direct, favorable, albeit negligible effect on government performance. The study indicates that a transparent corporate culture and operations are essential for the efficiency of the public sector. The legal framework and ethical leadership are critical components. These findings underscore the necessity for a cohesive governance plan that emphasizes cultural roots in conjunction with transparency tools. This approach is particularly applicable in conventional public institutions.

Keywords: Public Sector Effectiveness, Organizational Culture, Transparency, Legal Measures, Ethical Leadership, Structural Equation Modeling

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — S.S.; Methodology — N.T.; Software — S.U.; Formal Analysis — L.R.; Resources — N.C.; Writing — Original Draft — S.S.; Writing — Review & Editing — S.P. and P.U.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: H10, H11, K42

Received: 09.04.2025
Revised: 04.08.2025; 30.09.2025
Accepted: 27.10.2025
Published online: 29.10.2025

How to cite this paper: Thanaraj, N., Swasthaisong, S., Romyen, L., Uypatchawong, S., Chanamarn, N., Poonhawong, S., & Uypatchawong, P. (2025). A model of transparency and effectiveness in public governance: The impact of ethical leadership, legal measures, and participatory administration [Special issue]. Corporate Law & Governance Review, 7(3), 223–232. https://doi.org/10.22495/clgrv7i3sip7