Growth: Journal Management and Business
Vol. 4 No. 01 (2026): June 2026

Citizen Satisfaction Mediates Administrative Service and Complaint Handling Quality Effects on Trust: -

Abiakto Rafif Ilmi (Universitas Trilogi)
Dendi Anggi Gumilang (Universitas Esa Unggul)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2026

Abstract

Citizen trust in local government is shaped not only by the availability of public services but also by how citizens evaluate their service experiences. This study examines the effects of administrative service quality and complaint handling quality on citizen trust through citizen satisfaction in district-level public services in Jakarta. A quantitative explanatory survey was conducted among Jakarta residents who had experience with district administrative services and official digital complaint channels. Using convenience sampling, the study analyzed 397 eligible respondents. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. Administrative service quality and complaint handling quality significantly strengthen citizen satisfaction. Administrative service quality also has a significant direct effect on citizen trust, whereas complaint handling quality does not directly strengthen trust. Citizen satisfaction emerges as the strongest mechanism in explaining trust and mediates the effects of both service quality dimensions. The mediation pattern indicates that complaint handling quality builds trust primarily when citizens first experience satisfaction with the complaint process. The study contributes by demonstrating that administrative service quality and complaint handling quality follow distinct trust-building pathways: administrative service quality strengthens trust both directly and through satisfaction, whereas complaint handling quality builds trust primarily through citizen satisfaction. These findings emphasize that responsive, transparent, clear, and solution-oriented public services are essential for strengthening citizen evaluations of local government. Managerial priorities include improving staff competence, service information, complaint follow-up transparency, solution accuracy, and certainty of resolution.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jmb

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

Growth: Journal Management and Business, published by Lentera Ilmu Nusantara Growth: Journal Management and Business accommodates the publication of research results in the field of Economics and Business conducted by lecturers as a manifestation of the Tri Darma of Higher Education. Growth: Journal ...