Person-Environment Fit and Innovative Behavior of Police Officers: Focused on Difference in Tenure

In today's rapidly changing environment, innovative behavior is an important driver of organizational success. Recently, the role of innovative behavior in police organizations has received considerable attention due to the increasing complexity of modern policing. Prior research has shown that employee tenure has a significant impact on engagement in innovative behavior, with long-term employees typically having a deeper understanding of their roles and organizational procedures and thus better able to implement feasible innovations. Conversely, newer employees can bring a fresh perspective but may lack the confidence or organizational knowledge needed to facilitate real change. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to verify whether the environmental fit of police officers makes a significant difference in their innovative behavior based on their tenure. Accordingly, a survey was conducted with the help of the Busan National Police Agency and an empirical analysis was conducted based on the survey data. The results showed that organizational fit (β=.190, p<.01), job fit (β=.450, p<.001), and supervisor fit ( β=.117, p<.05) all had a statistically significant positive effect on innovative behavior in the group with less than 10 years of service. Next, we looked at the 10+ year cohort. The analysis showed that only job fit (β=.542, p<.001) had a statistically significant positive effect on innovation behavior. In sum, there are specific differences in the impact of tenure on innovation behavior. Based on these findings, this study aims to contribute to a broader understanding of how police officers can improve their innovative behavior across career stages. The study also aims to make actionable policy recommendations to tailor police leadership strategies to enhance innovative behavior at all levels.