본 연구는 심리적 임파워먼트와 혁신행동의 관계에서의 구성원의 상사관점의 조망수용의 조절효과를 검증하였다. 심리적 임파워먼트는 조직 구성원들의 혁신행동에 중요한 요인인 것으로 보고되어 왔다. 오늘날 대부분의 민간조직, 공공조직은 변화와 혁신을 추구하고 있고, 이를 위하여 구성원의 창의성이 발현되는 풍토를 조성하고 혁신적인 성과를 기대하고 있다. 이러한 노력의 일환으로 구성원들의 자율성을 보장하여 심리적 임파워먼트를 향상시키는 분위기를 조성하고 있다. 그러나 구성원들이 지각하는 심리적 임파워먼트가 어떠한 조건에서 긍정적인 결과로 연결되는가에 대한 연구는 부족하였다. 심리적 임파워먼트와 혁신행동을 다룬 실증연구 결과들을 살펴보면 결과의 일관성은 다소 떨어지는 것으로 나타났고 더욱이 기존 실증연구들에서는 혁신행동의 측정을 자기보고식으로 진행하였고, 구성원의 혁신행동을 상사나 관리자의 관점에서 살펴보려는 노력은 부족하였다. 이러한 연구경향은 혁신이 조직 내에서 갖는 의미를 제대로 반영하지 못한 결과라고 판단된다. 더욱이, 과연 조직 내 임파워먼트 환경 조성이 혁신행동으로 이루어지기 위해서는 어떠한 조건에 부합하여야 하는가를 시사점을 제시하는 연구가 미흡하였다. 본 연구에서는 어떤 상황에서 심리적 임파워먼트가 혁신행동에 보다 긍정적인 영향을 미치는가를 구성원들의 상사 조망수용을 고려하여 살펴보았다. 즉 상사의 입장에서 조직에 필요한 혁신적인 요소가 무엇인가를 살피는 조망수용이 높고, 심리적 임파워먼트도 높은 경우 조직에 도움이 되는 혁신행동이 더욱 증가할 것으로 예상하였다. 226쌍의 구성원-상사 표본을 대상으로 가설을 검증한 결과, 구성원들이 심리적 임파워먼트를 높게 지각할수록 상사가 평가하는 혁신행동이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 또한 구성원들이 상사관점을 보다 높게 지각하는 경우에, 심리적 임파워먼트와 혁신행동 간의 관계는 강화되는 것으로 나타났다. 연구의 말미에는 이론적, 실무적 시사점과 향후 연구방향을 제시하였다.
This study examined the moderating effect of perspective taking on the relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior. The psychological empowerment has been considered important factor for employee innovative behavior. Nowaday, most of private and public organizations try to change and innovation, in order to that they make efforts to make atmosphere more creativity related work environment. However there was little academical and practical evidence that explains when psychological empowerment have strong relationship with innovative behavior. Moreover, there had been inconsistent results the positive relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior. Surprisingly prior empirical researches have used a self-report measure of innovative behavior. This can be resulted from misunderstanding of innovative behaviors meaning in the real business organization. More importantly, there was little effort to identify boundary condition on the relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior. By introducing perspective taking of supervisor, we tried to capture when psychological empowerment has a positive influence on employee innovative behavior. We expected that when employees have a high level of perspective taking of supervisor, the positive relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior. Of course, when employees have a high level of perspective taking of supervisor, they may easily accept their supervisor directions or orders, however if they have adequate level of psychological empowerment, the negative effect of a high level of perspective taking of supervisor will be deceased. The data were collected from 5 Korean companies which are a variety of industries companies, such as manufacturing, informational technology service research institute, and heavy industry. The sample for testing hypotheses included 250 supervisor-subordinate dyads/pairs from companies in South Korea. This study contacted the team managers level each company and asked for subordinate innovative behavior at work to avoid common method variances. Out of 250 supervisor-subordinate dyads/pair questionnaires, 230 were returned, usable 226 were used for testing my hypotheses. Basically all variables were measured by self-reported questionnaire from employees, except innovative behavior, which was rated by team manager of employees. In order to test the hypothesis about the relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior and moderation effect of perspective taking, hierarchical regression was used. With respect of core hypotheses about the relationship of psychological empowerment with innovative behavior, it is noted that psychological empowerment is a significant independent predictor of innovative behavior. In this vein of researcher’s expectation, psychological empowerment is positively related to innovative behavior (β = 0.65, p < .001). Thus, hypothesis 1 was supported. To prove moderating effect of perspective taking, psychological empowerment and perspective taking interaction terms were entered. Interaction between centered psychological empowerment and perspective taking would predict moderation effect. The results (β = 0.21, p < .001) provide hypothesis 2 that perspective taking strengthens the association between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior. Indeed, employees with high levels of psychological empowerment were more likely to earn higher supervisor innovative behavior rating when they also had high levels of perspective taking of supervisor. This study found relationship between psychological empowerment and innovative behavior is contingent on psychological process, which is psychological empowerment most likely to be associated with higher levels of innovative behavior when employees are also taking perspective of their supervisors. Theoretical and practical implication, limitation, and direction of future research was discussed.