Institutional development of organizational culture in the civil service of Kazakhstan: SWOT and PEST diagnostics and modernization mechanisms

Introduction Modern research in administrative science highlights a persistent gap between normative ethics and actual ethical practices within public organizations. This gap is particularly evident in transitional administrations, where legal modernization, personnel cycles, and digital transformation occur simultaneously. The present study examines institutionalized ethics as an infrastructure of integrity—a coherent configuration of norms, roles, procedures, metrics, and digital transparency that shapes behavior preventively (ex ante) rather than merely sanctioning it after the fact (ex post). Methods The study is based on a mixed research design focused on applied institutional engineering. The empirical base includes: (1) a national survey of Kazakhstan residents ( n = 525, August 2025; all macro-regions of the unitary state); (2) a targeted civil-service sample combining a structured questionnaire and SWOT/PEST elicitations ( n = 54: managers n = 19; non-managerial employees n = 35); (3) institutional analysis of the legal framework and administrative routines (conflict of interest, gifts, post-employment, disciplinary procedures, reporting channels, algorithmic decision-making). Stratified coding, descriptive statistics, and design synthesis were applied. Results The SWOT analysis revealed the core values of ethical culture (public service, collegial cooperation) and its main weaknesses: procedural formalism, uneven law enforcement, and the vulnerability of reporting routines. The PEST analysis clarified the external drivers—from the politico-legal agenda emphasizing service orientation and economic constraints affecting HRM practices to technological acceleration, which enhances transparency but introduces new risks (algorithmic opacity, data bias, cyber threats). Discussion The study demonstrates that the institutional architecture of ethical culture requires systemic integration of legal doctrine, organizational behavior, and digital governance. The developed model proposes measurable and adaptable modernization modules (E-KPI, SLA, digital ethics audits) applicable in jurisdictions that combine legal reforms with algorithmic governance. It is designed for monitoring and gradual scaling, compatible with public accountability standards. Given the modest size of the civil-service expert sample ( n = 54), external validity is limited and the findings should be interpreted as exploratory and design-oriented. The emphasis is placed on scope and conceptual verification; future research should establish causal links between specific mechanisms (e.g., SLA discipline, algorithm audits) and behavioral changes in reporting and disciplinary outcomes.