From policy to practice: Translating mission-oriented innovation policy into responsible innovation governance and employee behavioral outcomes

Mission-oriented innovation policy (MOIP) has emerged as a prominent approach for addressing grand societal challenges by directing innovation toward clearly defined public missions. Although prior research has advanced understanding of mission design, policy coordination, and ecosystem governance, limited attention has been paid to how mission-oriented policies are translated into organizational practices. Addressing this gap, this study develops and empirically tests a policy-to-practice translation framework that explains how policy directionality becomes embedded within organizations through responsible innovation (RI) governance and subsequently influences employee behavioral outcomes. Drawing on the literatures on RI, organizational governance, and trust, RI is conceptualized as an organizational governance mechanism that translates external policy expectations into structured innovation practices. Innovation trust functions as the behavioral mechanism linking RI governance to sustainability-oriented behavioral intentions, while organizational ESG capability and individual Anthropocene awareness serve as important boundary conditions. The proposed framework is examined using a theory-testing dominant mixed-method design combining hierarchical linear modeling, structural equation modeling, and comparative qualitative case studies. Survey data from 538 employees across 38 Korean firms are complemented by qualitative evidence from mission-priority industries. The findings indicate that perceived organizational alignment with mission-oriented policy directionality is associated with employee behavioral intentions through RI governance and innovation trust. This study advances mission-oriented innovation research by introducing a policy-to-practice translation perspective and offers practical implications for governments and organizations implementing mission-oriented innovation policies.