Between Equality and Hierarchy: A Socio-Legal Analysis of Employment Protection for PPPK Under Indonesia’s State Civil Apparatus Reform

Herry Febriadi; Krisnadi Nasution; Syofyan Hadi

doi:10.30598/baileofisipvol3iss2pp295-312

Herry Febriadi Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Administrasi Amuntai
Krisnadi Nasution Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya
Syofyan Hadi Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30598/baileofisipvol3iss2pp295-312

Keywords: Administrative Reform, Bureaucratic Hierarchy, Employment Justice, Public Employment, Socio-Legal Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to examine the socio-legal paradox of equality and hierarchy within Indonesia’s civil service reform under Law No. 20 of 2023, which formally establishes parity between Civil Servants (PNS) and Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK). Employing a socio-legal approach that combines normative juridical analysis with empirical sociological inquiry, data were drawn from statutory documents (Law No. 20/2023, Government Regulation No. 49/2018, and related regulations), policy reports, media interviews, and PPPK testimonies. These were analyzed qualitatively through triangulation of legal norms, bureaucratic practices, and social contexts. The findings reveal that while the 2023 ASN Law normatively affirms equal rights, obligations, and career development opportunities, bureaucratic structures continue to preserve hierarchical distinctions, positioning PPPK as second-tier employees. Cultural and institutional discrimination persists, driven by an administrative–technical legal rationality that fails to achieve emancipatory transformation within the bureaucracy. The study’s novelty lies in applying a socio-legal perspective to Indonesia’s public employment reform, illuminating the dialectical relationship between law and social hierarchy. Theoretically, it enriches discourse on public employment justice and the sociology of legal reform in developing states, while practically, it provides a conceptual basis for inclusive and merit-based regulatory design in Indonesia’s civil service governance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alika, Y., Valentina, T. R., & Hendrik, D. (2024). Bureaucratic Politicization in the Process of Changing Bureaucratic Positions After the Vacancy of the Deputy Regent of Dharmasraya Regency in 2022. Jurnal Ilmiah Ekotrans & Erudisi, 4(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.69989/0dbm5230

Aljula, M. Y., & Hartanto, H. (2025). Risk, Responsibility, and Regulation: A Socio-Legal Analysis of Notarial Accountability in Identifying Beneficial Ownership. Baileo: Jurnal Sosial Humaniora, 3(1), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.30598/baileofisipvol3iss1pp33-48

Ameridyani, A., Tokito, M., & Saizen, I. (2025). Towards community-driven rural development: Path of women group in empowering rural Women’s capacities and role in rural development. World Development Perspectives, 39(2), 100700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2025.100700

Blühdorn, I., Butzlaff, F., & Haderer, M. (2022). Emancipatory Politics at its Limits? An Introduction. European Journal of Social Theory, 25(1), 3–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684310211048116

Bourdieu, P. (2020). Outline of a Theory of Practice. In The New Social Theory Reader (pp. 80–86). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003060963-11

Buhler, E. A., Gautreau, P., & Oliveira, V. L. (2020). (Im)Pertinences of a theoretical approach: the neoliberalization of nature. Sociedade & Natureza, 32(2), 551–564. https://doi.org/10.14393/SN-v32-2020-51769

Buhler, T., & Stephenson, R. (2021). Is Local Planning Really ‘Local’? National Planning Context as a Determining Factor for Local Discourse. Planning Theory & Practice, 22(2), 227–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2021.1903070

Butzlaff, F. (2022). Emancipatory struggles and their political organisation: How political parties and social movements respond to changing notions of emancipation. European Journal of Social Theory, 25(1), 94–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684310211027111

Colón Vargas, N. (2025). Exploiting the margin: How capitalism fuels AI at the expense of minoritized groups. AI and Ethics, 5(2), 1871–1876. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-024-00502-w

Dizon, M. A. C. (2024). Socio-legal study of technology: A norms and values approach to hacking and encryption law and policy. Computer Law & Security Review, 52(12), 105958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2024.105958

Ewick, P., & Silbey, S. (2020). Sociology of legal consciousness and hegemony. In Research Handbook on the Sociology of Law (pp. 1–20). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789905182.00021

Gunawan, R., Riadi, S., & Tawil, M. (2025). Policy Implementation Selection of Prospective Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK) in the Government Environment Central Sulawesi Province in 2023. JURNAL SYNTAX IMPERATIF : Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Pendidikan, 6(2), 293–307. https://doi.org/10.54543/syntaximperatif.v6i2.693

Hasan, A., Sheikh, N., & Farooq, M. B. (2024). Exploring stakeholder perceptions of tax reform failures and their proposed solutions: a developing country perspective. Meditari Accountancy Research, 32(3), 721–755. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-03-2023-1961

Huq, F. A., & Stevenson, M. (2020). Implementing Socially Sustainable Practices in Challenging Institutional Contexts: Building Theory from Seven Developing Country Supplier Cases. Journal of Business Ethics, 161(2), 415–442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3951-x

Indiahono, D., Satyawan, D. S., & Yamin, M. (2022). Understanding Sowan as a New Paternalistic Bureaucracy Pattern of Local Officials in Indonesia. Jurnal Bina Praja, 14(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.14.2022.201-211

Juska, A. (2024). Disembedded politics: Discourses on Neoliberal Labor Law reforms in Lithuania (2014–2016). Journal of Industrial Relations, 66(3), 434–457. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221856241241763

Kartana, S., & Gorda, O. S. (2025). The Implementation and Challenges of ASN Career Development Based on Merit System in Badung Regency Government. Eduvest - Journal of Universal Studies, 5(2), 1646–1652. https://doi.org/10.59188/eduvest.v5i2.1662

Kjaer, P. F. (2022). What is transformative law? European Law Open, 1(4), 760–780. https://doi.org/10.1017/elo.2023.1

Korkea-aho, E. (2022). Are lawyer-lobbyists answerable to ‘a higher authority’? Bar association rules as lobbying regulation in the EU and the USA. Interest Groups & Advocacy, 11(4), 569–589. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-022-00169-w

Lado, R. N., Prasojo, E., & Jannah, L. M. (2025). Institutional Barriers to Merit-Based Career Development in the Police: A Review of Global and Local Perspectives. International Journal of Innovation and Thinking, 2(5), 301–318. https://doi.org/10.71364/ijit.v2i5.31

Lanzona, L. A., Singh, L., & Singh, S. (2025). The Philippine Development Crisis: Learning from East Asian Countries. Millennial Asia, 16(3), 347–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/09763996251351384

Malik, K. J., & Prasojo, E. (2023). Determinant Factors in the Implementation of Merit System: An Overview of Indonesian Case. Asian Journal of Social and Humanities, 2(03), 1942–1952. https://doi.org/10.59888/ajosh.v2i03.187

Mariati, N. K. S. (2024). Collaborative Strategies in Authentic Assessment: Addressing Opportunities and Challenges in Post-Pandemic Indonesia. Baileo: Jurnal Sosial Humaniora, 2(2), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.30598/baileofisipvol2iss2pp199-210

Marniati, S., & Nasruddin, M. (2025). Bridging the Divide: Human Resource Challenges in the Education Sector of Developing Nation. Journal of Educational Management Research, 4(6), 2426–2437. https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v4i4.1377

Maulana, A., Indriati, F., & Hidayah, K. (2022). Analysis of Bureaucratic Reform Through Delayering of Government Institutions in Indonesia. Jurnal Borneo Administrator, 18(2), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.24258/jba.v18i2.1003

Park, C.-M., Han, Y., & Chang, Y. (2022). Comparing Civil Service Systems. In Civil Service Systems in East and Southeast Asia (pp. 1–23). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003326496-1

Pradnyani, I. G. A. A. D. R., & Prabawati, N. P. A. (2025). Sociotechnocracy in Job Training Governance: A Reflection on E-Government Practices at UPTD BLKIP Bali. Baileo: Jurnal Sosial Humaniora, 2(3), 431–448. https://doi.org/10.30598/baileofisipvol2iss3pp431-448

Rahmat, B., Hartanto, B., & Hilman, A. (2024). Bureaucratic Reform in Indonesia: From “Public Administration" to “Public Management.” Journal of Local Government Issues, 7(2), 144–158. https://doi.org/10.22219/logos.v7i2.33848

Ramli, V., Anwary, I., Suprapto, S., & Erlina, E. (2025). Reforming the Bureaucratic Frontiers: An Analysis of Legal Implications, Concepts and Challenges for Non-Civil Servant Employees in Indonesia. Strata Law Review, 3(2), 102–114. https://doi.org/10.59631/slr.v3i2.435

Rich, J. A. J. (2023). Outsourcing Bureaucracy to Evade Accountability: How Public Servants Build Shadow State Capacity. American Political Science Review, 117(3), 835–850. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055422000892

Saepudin, S., & Pratiwi, D. (2022). Dilemmatic Position of State Civil Apparatus (ASN). Journal of Government and Political Issues, 2(2), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.53341/jgpi.v2i2.95

Samudro, M. J., & Enggarani, N. S. (2025). State, Constitution, and Identity of Power: A Socio-Political Analysis of the Debate on the Minimum Age Requirement for Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates. Baileo: Jurnal Sosial Humaniora, 3(1), 67–82. https://doi.org/10.30598/baileofisipvol3iss1pp67-82

Schlogl, L., & Kim, K. (2023). After authoritarian technocracy: the space for industrial policy-making in democratic developing countries. Third World Quarterly, 44(9), 1938–1959. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2021.1984876

Siboy, A., Permadi, I., Karim, Z. P., & Karim, F. A. (2024). The Islamic Law-based design of regional head post-filling. Legality : Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum, 32(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.22219/ljih.v32i1.31261

Subroto, I. G., & Indriati, F. (2024). ASN Personnel Reform in the TNI AD. Journal of Law, Politic and Humanities, 4(4), 568–578. https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v4i4.392

Sufriadi, Y. (2024). The progress of Indonesian law enforcement reform after 25 years of the reform movement. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 51(1), 28–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2023.2268491

Turner, M., Prasojo, E., & Sumarwono, R. (2022). The challenge of reforming big bureaucracy in Indonesia. Policy Studies, 43(2), 333–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2019.1708301

Valladares, L. (2021). Scientific Literacy and Social Transformation. Science & Education, 30(3), 557–587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-021-00205-2

Vredenburgh, K. (2023). Bureaucratic discretion, legitimacy, and substantive justice. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 26(2), 251–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2022.2133829

William, L., Corby, S., & Pauksztat, B. (2024). Research Methods: Our Approach to Socio-Legal Research. In L. William, S. Corby, & B. Pauksztat (Eds.), Claiming Disability Discrimination (pp. 57–73). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74387-0_4

Zuhro, R. S. (2021). The Bureaucracy Neutrality in Indonesian Politics. BASKARA : Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, 3(2), 63–75. https://doi.org/10.54268/baskara.v3i2.8717

Żuk, P., & Żuk, P. (2022). Energy/power as a tool that disciplines and reproduces the energy order and as a critical-analytical perspective on energy policy. Energy Policy, 161(1), 112750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112750