Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of decoupling between job characteristics, innovation behavior, and innovation resistance in order to seek ways for companies to survive and grow continuously through innovation activities in various uncertain situations. Research design, data and methodology: A total of 263 valid questionnaires were collected and used for analysis for employees working at the company. For the analysis, simple and multiple regression analysis, and 3-step mediated regression analysis were conducted using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0. Results: First, it was found that skill variety, task identity, autonomy, and feedback increase decoupling, and decoupling increases innovation resistance. In addition, it was confirmed that decoupling had a mediating effect between job characteristics and innovation resistance excluding task significance. Finally, it was found that task significance and feedback increase innovation behavior, and decoupling and task identity increase innovation resistance, but feedback can alleviate innovation resistance. Conclusions: As a result of the analysis, the fact that job characteristics excluding task importance have a positive effect on decoupling means that there are two sides of job characteristics perceived by employees. In other words, it means that the results of analysis on the jobs that the company assigns to its members may not be effective. In addition, decoupling, a phenomenon that seems to be accepting on the outside, but perceives that it is negative on the inside, means that there is a possibility to reject innovation. Therefore, prior to carrying out innovation activities, companies should give clear job specifications and meanings for the job and give them autonomy when assigning jobs to their members. In order to provide appropriate feedback, the company must design, operate, and provide feedback. It was found that there was a need to review the overall effectiveness. In addition, efforts such as strengthening corporate-level fairness, maintaining psychological contracts, and realizing authentic leadership should be preceded to reduce decoupling.