Impact of Leadership Behavior on Employee Performance during the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Study of Patobong Village Government, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

This study examines the impact of leadership behavior on employee performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Patobong Village Government, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Using a quantitative research design, multiple regression analysis was conducted on data collected from 60 government employees through structured questionnaires. The findings indicate that leadership behavior explains only 22.8% of the variance in employee performance (R² = 0.228, p < 0.05), suggesting that other factors, such as organizational culture and economic conditions, may play a more significant role. The key leadership behaviors examined include motivation (β = 0.36, p < 0.05), clear communication (β = 0.29, p < 0.05), decision- making (β = 0.27, p < 0.05), and adaptability. The normality test results (p = 0.000) indicate a non-normal distribution, highlighting the need for future research to explore non-parametric methods. Additionally, this study emphasizes the importance of culturally embedded leadership, demonstrating how sipakainge (mutual reminding), sipakalebbi (mutual respect), and sipakatau (treating others with dignity) contribute to effective leadership practices in a village government context. Despite its contributions, this study is limited by a small sample size, reliance on self-reported data, and a weak explanatory power of the model. Future research should incorporate additional leadership variables, employ a larger sample, and expand the study scope to other regions. These findings provide valuable insights for public administration researchers and policymakers on adaptive leadership strategies in crisis management and decentralized governance in developing countries.