When autonomy backfires or succeeds: curvilinear effects on innovative behaviour in the public sector and the moderating role of transformational leadership
研究韩国政府机构数据发现，自主权与创新行为呈倒U型关系，变革型领导能减弱这种曲线效应，甚至在高水平时将其转为U型。
Fukuyama’s Governance hypothesis suggests that excessive autonomy may become counterproductive, implying a curvilinear effect. Yet empirical evidence has been mixed, suggesting autonomy operates linearly or curvilinearly depending on outcomes and contexts. Building on this insight, this study uses panel data from Korean governments and two-way fixed-effects models to examine whether agency autonomy has an inverted U-shaped relationship with innovative behavior and whether transformational leadership moderates this relationship. Results show that autonomy initially promotes innovative behavior, but its positive effect diminishes and reverses at higher levels. Furthermore, transformational leadership attenuates this curvilinearity and, at high levels, shifts it toward a U-shaped pattern.