Muddling together through the fog: Peer trust, exit intention, and innovative work behavior during the pandemic

Abstract

What resources enable public employees to remain motivated to engage in innovative behavior at work, even when they consider leaving the organization? In this study, we examine how public employees’ innovative behavior is explained by relational resources, particularly peer trust that fosters psychological safety to take risks and tolerate failure. Using novel survey data from 1861 public employees across 29 central government ministries and agencies in South Korea, collected during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find significant effects of peer trust on innovative behavior, as well as a moderating effect between exit intention and innovation. These effects are consistent among long-tenured employees, while performance recognition emerges as a stronger determinant of innovative behavior among newcomers. This study's findings contribute to an advanced understanding of the peer trust–innovative work behavior relationship and the importance of psychological safety in the public sector. Points for practitioners Peer trust functions as a critical organizational resource that sustains innovative work behavior even when public employees are considering leaving, making it a priority investment for crisis-period management. Public organizations should not treat exit-intending employees as disengaged; when peer trust is high, these employees continue to contribute to innovation and should remain integrated into collaborative work environments. Formal performance recognition has a limited overall effect on innovation but plays a significant motivational role for newcomers with fewer than three years of tenure, suggesting HRM strategies should be differentiated by career stage. Because crisis conditions deplete the psychological resources that innovation requires, public organizations must proactively cultivate peer relationships.