심리적분리(Psychological Detachment)가 직무자율성과 혁신행동 간의 관계에 미치는 조절효과: 직장인 양질의 휴식과 성과

In Korean society, there has long been strong policy-level and social interest in employees’ well-being, as reflected in initiatives such as the 52-hour workweek system and the emphasis on work–life balance, and various efforts to improve employee well-being continue to be pursued. Nevertheless, a substantial proportion of Korean employees remain exposed to highly demanding work environments, and work-related activities frequently intrude into their non-work time (rest periods, off-job time, sleep, vacations), making effective recovery from stress increasingly difficult. While intense competition among firms may require individuals to voluntarily invest considerable effort to enhance performance, and it is reasonable to expect employees to devote their energy to assigned tasks during working hours, all employees inevitably have clearly defined non-work periods, such as after-work time and sleep. Therefore, the right to disengage from work and immerse oneself in high-quality rest during non-work time should be sufficiently guaranteed. From this perspective, this study highlights the importance of psychological detachment, which can be understood as the assurance of clear rest during non-work time and as a desirable mode of recovery. Psychological detachment refers to a state in which employees are physically and mentally disconnected from work during non-work time and become fully immersed in rest. It is known to facilitate relaxation from sustained work-related tension and to help individuals return to a pre-stress state. To empirically examine the effects of psychological detachment, data were collected from 398 Korean employees. Considering prior research and the realities of the workplace, job autonomy—defined as the degree of discretion delegated by the organization during working hours—was adopted as the independent variable, while innovative behavior—defined as the application of creative ideas to products, services, or processes—was specified as the outcome variable. The study hypothesized that job autonomy would promote innovative behavior and empirically tested whether the level of innovative behavior varies significantly depending on the strength of the moderating effect of psychological detachment. The results indicate that job autonomy has a positive effect on innovative behavior, as expected. However, even when job autonomy is granted, innovative behavior among Korean employees was found to increase to a moderate level or to be substantially strengthened depending on the degree of interaction with psychological detachment. Based on these findings, this study discusses practical and academic implications in the conclusion.