In the current era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, public sector organizations must be innovative and adaptable to various changes. Innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing a nation’s competitiveness and is an essential tool for succeeding on the global stage. Therefore, public sector innovation must be prioritized, especially since Indonesia’s achievements in this area remain underwhelming.

This statement was delivered by Dr. Wayu Eko Yudiatmaja, S.IP., MPA, during his doctoral promotion session in Administrative Science at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI) on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at the EDISI 2020 Auditorium, FIA UI. Dr. Wayu’s dissertation, titled “Innovative Behavior of Millennial Employees in the Public Sector: Antecedents, Mediators, and Consequences on Task Performance of Civil Servants in the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government,” explored the factors influencing millennial employees’ innovative behavior and how it impacts their task performance.

His research, conducted within the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, analyzed the effects of transformational leadership, innovation culture, innovation climate, and expected images on millennial employees’ innovative behavior.

“Transformational leadership and innovation culture have a positive and significant impact on innovative behavior, while the innovation climate does not significantly influence it. Furthermore, transformational leadership positively affects expected image gains and expected performance outcomes but does not significantly influence expected image risk. Innovation culture significantly impacts expected image risk and expected performance outcomes but does not affect expected image gains. Meanwhile, the innovation climate significantly influences all three expected images,” explained Dr. Wayu.

The dissertation also revealed that expected image gains and expected performance outcomes positively and significantly affect innovative behavior, while expected image risk does not. Moreover, innovative behavior enhances task performance. Expected image gains and expected performance outcomes mediate the influence of transformational leadership, innovation culture, and innovation climate on innovative behavior.

“There is no mediating role for expected image risk, meaning that expected image gains and expected performance outcomes are crucial in strengthening the impact of transformational leadership, innovation culture, and innovation climate on innovative behavior,” Dr. Wayu added.

Academically, Dr. Wayu’s research contributes to the study of innovative behavior in public sector human resource management (HRM) in three ways. First, it explores an integrative model of innovative behavior, examining the effects of transformational leadership, innovation culture, innovation climate, and expected images on millennial employees’ innovative behavior in the public sector. Second, it extends the work of Yuan & Woodman (2010) by analyzing how these factors affect expected images and innovative behavior in public organizations.

“Third, this research applies the latest ‘upsilon’ method to analyze the effect size of mediation. This approach prevents bias during mediation testing, making the analysis more robust compared to previous studies that did not use this method,” Dr. Wayu elaborated.

In terms of practical implications for public sector HRM, Dr. Wayu emphasized the urgency of fostering innovative behavior among millennial employees. He suggested that the central government, through the Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform, should incorporate innovation parameters for both individuals and teams into public sector HR functions.

For the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, Dr. Wayu proposed several measures to enhance millennial employees’ innovative behavior. From a managerial perspective, managers at all levels should consistently provide support, stimulation, inspiration, and motivation, as employees are the key drivers of organizational innovation. Additionally, the government should create an environment that encourages innovative behavior and strengthen the implementation of supportive policies to ensure employees feel safe when taking creative initiatives.

Finally, Dr. Wayu recommended that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government establish a clear reward system that considers innovative behavior as a performance evaluation criterion. This would motivate employees to consistently demonstrate creativity and innovation in their work.

Dr. Wayu Eko Yudiatmaja became the 37th doctoral graduate from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences and the 225th in the field of Administrative Science, earning the distinction of Cum Laude.

The doctoral promotion session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Chandra Wijaya, M.Si., M.M., with Dr. Roy Valiant Salomo, M.Soc.Sc., as the main promoter, and Prof. Dr. Eko Prasojo, Mag.rer.publ., as the co-promoter. The examination committee included Dr. Tri Widodo Wahyu Utomo, S.H., M.A.; Dr. Herman, M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Irfan Ridwan Maksum, M.Si.; Dr. Lina Miftahul Jannah, M.Si.; and Dr. Pantius D. Soeling, M.Si.