Exploration of Community Perceptions on Leadership and Administrative Governance in Yenanas Village, South Batanta District, Raja Ampat Regency

Abstract

This research is motivated by the importance of leadership and village administrative governance in supporting community-based development in Yenanas Village, South Batanta District, Raja Ampat Regency, which, in its governance dynamics, faces limitations in apparatus capacity, low digital literacy, and lack of training. The purpose of this research is to explore the community's perception of leadership and administrative governance in Yenanas Village, South Batanta District, Raja Ampat Regency. The research method uses a qualitative approach with data collection techniques in the form of interviews and participatory observation. The research informants are the people of Yenanas village who are directly involved in government services and village development. Data analysis was conducted descriptively-interpretively, emphasizing the meaning contained in the community's experiences. The research results describe that the community views village leadership as the main factor in creating trust, transparency, and accountability in village governance. Therefore, the community's perception also emphasizes the importance of the leader's role in adjusting their leadership style according to the conditions and readiness present in the village. In this case, the leader must use a situational leadership style (Hersey & Blanchard). The Village Head is considered capable of adjusting their leadership style situationally, both instructive and participative, thereby increasing community involvement in development. However, there are challenges in the form of limited administrative capacity in terms of human resources and facilities. This research concludes that optimizing village leadership and administrative governance requires strengthening capacity, increasing transparency, and empowering the community to make village government more effective, modern, and sustainable.