Uneven returns to digital enablement: innovative work behavior and performance across government tiers in Korea

Digital government reforms often presume performance gains from new tools, yet benefits hinge on whether employees experience digital enablement in daily work. Using repeated cross-sections from the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) Civil Service Survey, this study tests a mediation model linking a formative digital enablement index (IT resources, training support, and digital tool use) to self-rated job performance through innovative work behavior (IWB), and examines heterogeneity across central, metropolitan/provincial, and basic local tiers. In pooled 2022–2024 data, digital enablement predicts IWB and performance; IWB strongly predicts performance, producing a positive indirect effect. Interaction models show larger enablement slopes in subnational tiers, especially for basic local governments. Robustness checks corroborate the mechanism and highlight training support as the most consequential component. Implications emphasize tier-tailored human resource development (HRD) to convert digitalization into performance.