Stuck in the system: A root cause analysis of policy inertia and behavioral stagnation in urban waste management

Abstract

Background: The waste crisis in developing countries such as Indonesia persists despite comprehensive regulations, reflecting systemic mismanagement and policy inertia. While previous studies identify policy gaps and the attitude–behavior divide in household recycling, limited research explains how institutional failures structurally constrain citizen participation. This study frames the condition as being “Stuck in the System,” emphasizing governance-rooted behavioral stagnation. Methods: A purposive semi-systematic review of 54 academic and grey literature sources (2015–2025) was conducted. Thematic synthesis was guided by an integrated framework combining Institutional Path Dependency, Service Quality models, Social Marketing, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to examine how institutional structures influence behavioral capacity and motivation. Findings: Results show a self-reinforcing feedback loop rooted in Institutional Path Dependency. Fragmented governance and fiscal fragility generate chronic service quality deficits, making municipal waste services unreliable. This institutional failure creates a high non-monetary “psychological cost” for citizens. Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) reflects high effort and limited infrastructure, while Subjective Norms (SN) emerge as the strongest predictor of participation. Behavioral stagnation is thus a rational response to a high-friction, low-trust system rather than a knowledge deficit. Conclusion: Policy inertia and public disengagement represent a single dysfunctional equilibrium where institutional incapacity drives rational citizen withdrawal. Effective reform must address governance structures and service reliability alongside behavioral interventions. Novelty/Originality of this Article: This study advances a novel integrated marketing–policy framework that models the feedback loop between institutional failure and citizen behavior. By bridging institutional theory and behavioral economics, it reframes governance dysfunction as a tangible service failure that directly undermines public participation in waste management systems.