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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Organizational Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1378217
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovative and Creative Behaviours in the Modern Workplace: Causes and Consequences View all 6 articles

Antecedents of Innovative Behavior in Public Organizations: The Role of Public Service Motivation, Organizational Commitment, and Perceived Innovative Culture

Provisionally accepted
Geon Lee Geon Lee 1Chulwoo Kim Chulwoo Kim 2*
  • 1 Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Gachon University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: This study examines the dynamics of public service motivation (PSM), organizational commitment, and perceived innovative culture and their collective influence on innovative behavior in public organizations. It uniquely focuses on intrinsic motivational factors, extends the scope of motivational studies to the public sector, and highlights the crucial role of organizational culture in fostering innovation. Methods: A web-based survey was administered to 1,021 public servants in the central government of the Republic of Korea. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between the variables.The SEM results confirmed positive correlations between PSM and both organizational commitment and innovative behavior. However, contrary to expectations, organizational commitment did not significantly predict innovative behavior. Additionally, no mediating effect of organizational commitment was observed. Notably, perceived innovative culture was found to moderate the relationship between PSM and organizational commitment, and between organizational commitment and innovative behavior, particularly in environments with a strong innovation focus.Discussion: These findings underscore the significance of PSM in spurring innovative behavior in the public sector, broadening our understanding of intrinsic motivation. This study also accentuates the influence of organizational culture on these dynamics. In practical terms, this suggests the importance of nurturing individuals with high PSM and fostering an environment that balances perceived innovative culture. While contributing to the fields of organizational psychology and public administration, this study has certain limitations and indicates the need for further research in various contexts.

    Keywords: public service motivation, Innovative behavior, organizational commitment, perceived innovative culture, Innovative work behavior

    Received: 29 Jan 2024; Accepted: 06 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lee and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chulwoo Kim, Gachon University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.