The growing involvement of female participation in the labor market has weakened the boundaries between work and family, which compelled organizations to give extra attention on work-family relationships. However, it is hard to expect organizations to... The growing involvement of female participation in the labor market has weakened the boundaries between work and family, which compelled organizations to give extra attention on work-family relationships. However, it is hard to expect organizations to voluntarily accept and apply family-friendly policies because organizations consider these policies as regulated restrictions. The Family-Friendly Certifications, which was initiated in 2008, underlines the role of organizations in the course of setting a family-friendly social environment. In other words, the organizational introduction and application of family-friendly policies indispensably requires government intervention, which furthers the discussion of this subject into the science of public administration. Despite the importance of this subject, mainstream research conducted on family-friendly policies was concentrated on either macro-level government policy formulation and accomodations, or micro-level family-friendly policy introduction and the individual interaction with family and work, relationship between organizational immersion and job attitude, and so forth. Throughout this process, there is an application aspect that defeats itself by the overemphasis of introducing family-friendly policies. Also, there is a dearth of discussion in a centrist perspective regarding the organizational response surrounding family-friendly policies. Especially, the exploration on the decoupling of family-friendly policies within an organization is almost non-existent in the broader studies of institutions and organizations under the auspices of public administration research. This study focuses on the decoupling condition of work-family policies that remain within organizations, and intends to further investigate those impact factors. Principally, on-top of understanding the conceptual foundations of decoupled work-family policies under the sociological theories of institutionalism and organizational culture, the study aspires to reveal the various impact factors towards family-friendly policy decoupling centered on institutional isomorphism and organizational culture. This will help understand the decoupling aspect of work-family policies, which was overlooked throughout the years, and resolve policy implications to create a family-friendly social environment and proliferate family-friendly policies. In this regard, the research attempts to clarify the concepts of work-family policies under the theoretical basis of existing studies, and conducts extensive empirical research over these subjects. The empirical research consists of two constructs. Firstly, it observes the isomorphic and decoupled features of Family-Friendly Certified Companies(Agencies). Secondly, it empirically identifies the impact factors on the decoupling aspects regarding provisions for childbirth/childcare policies and work hour policies. Especially, the study attempts to diversely review multi-level impact factors of institutional isomorphism caused by external circumstances and organizational culture caused by internal influences. In order to verify the feasibility of this perception survey and research model, a comprehensive surveying of 860 employees under 39 Family-Friendly Certified Companies(Agencies) was collected and analyzed. Descriptive statistical methods and Hierarchical Linear Modeling(HLM) was intensively employed. Here are some of the main findings of this analysis. Firstly, the employees from Family-Friendly Certified Companies(Agencies) share a high level of awareness over the decoupling conditions of family-friendly policies. Particularly, the decoupling patterns of paternity leave situation was remarkably high, whereas the work hour decoupling situation appeared to be comparatively higher than other childbirth/childcare leave situations. The result shows that the introduction of family-friendly policies even at certified organizations do not assure institutional effectiveness. Such result can be interpreted that the decoupling of family-friendly policies was influenced by legal enforcements. Secondly, institutional isomorphism of family-friendly policies were selectively perceived based on organizational and individual idiosyncrasies. Additionally, aspects in coercive isomorphism were perceived higher than mimetic and normative isomorphism. This shows that family-friendly policies were adopted through various mechanisms, although the policy itself was initially enforced through laws and regulations by the government. It also shows in reality the insufficient emergence of mimetic and normative isomorphism. Thus, the results demonstrate that organizational and individual idiosyncrasies must be fully accounted for when contemplating various ways of adopting family-friendly policies. Thirdly, institutional isomorphism appeared to reduce decoupling of family-friendly policies. Specifically, coercive and mimetic isomorphism appeared to have reduced the decoupling aspects in childbirth/childcare policies, whereas coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism appeared to have reduced the decoupling aspects of regular work hour policies. This conclusively shows the influences of institutional surroundings over decoupling of family-friendly policies, which suggests the potentials of stimulating family-friendly policies through various institutional authorities. Fourthly, market culture appeared to increase the decoupling circumstances of family-friendly policies. The more intense market culture materializes, the higher the decoupling circumstances in childbirth/childcare and work hour policies. The results are interpreted as the competitive composition between members caused by the interaction of market culture and performance based human resource management. Fifthly, market culture appeared to have regulated the influence of institutional isomorphism over the decoupling of family-friendly policies. The more intense market culture materializes, the lesser the influence of coercive isomorphism over the decoupling of family-friendly policies. Thus, the influence of institutional isomorphism over the decoupling of family-friendly policies is regulated by the interpretation of members contingent on different organizational cultures. The results represent the need to better appreciate organizational culture when constructing and implementing family-friendly policies, and stronger commitment to improve compatibility between organizational culture and family-friendly policies. Sixthly, depending on the specific types, decoupling of family-friendly policies showed differential impact factors. Decoupling in childbirth/childcare polcies were influenced by coercive isomorphism, mimetic isomorphism, market culture, coercive isomorphism*market culture, normative isomorphism*market culture, support from supervisors, and employment types. On the other hand, decoupling in work hour policies were influenced by coercive isomorphism, mimetic isomorphism, normative isomorphism, market culture, coercive isomorphism*market culture, normative isomorphism*market culture, peer support, procedural fairness, age, organizational types, and organizational age. This shows decoupling in family-friendly policies should be approached through specific institutions, and requires the attention not only from the individual level but also from the organizational level as well. The results confirm the various levels of internal and external impact factors for decoupling in family-friendly policies, which provides the following policy implications. Firstly, a higher level decoupling of family-friendly policies deserves more thorough examination and monitoring. In order to do so, the certification responsibilities stipulated in the「Implementing Ordnance to Promote Family-Friendly Social Environment」needs to be reinforced, and powerful efforts to describe procedures and substances are strongly recommended. Throughout this process, starting from Family-Friendly Certified Companies(Agencies), it is highly necessary to nationally extend factual surveying and monitoring the condition of decoupling aspects in family-friendly policy. Secondly, the impact factors of family-friendly decoupling of coercive isomorphism underlines the need to obtain effectiveness in family friendly laws and policies. In this regard, there should be efforts to refurbish reinforce existing regulations, and be more specific in implementing the pertinent laws and policies. Thirdly, impact factors of family-friendly decoupling of mimetic isomorphism raises the need to set conditions to replicate family-friendly policies. A successive family-friendly policy model is to obtain both legitimacy and efficiency by resolving organizational uncertainty. Therefore, various family-friendly policy cases must be introduced throughout regional levels and business types. Especially, it is highly recommended to minimize uncertainty by highlighting resources and costs that can determine particular organizational characteristics. Fourthly, impact factors of family-friendly decoupling of normative isomorphism raises the need to expand consulting and networks related with family-friendly agendas. Family-friendly consulting lowers the degree of decoupling in family-friendly policies within individual organizations by examining organizational characteristics, and family-friendly networks lowers decoupling in family-friendly policies by diffusing norms and regulations through various social engagements of CEOs, HR managers, and so forth. Thus, more efforts are required to internalize family-friendly norms and expand consulting and networking exertions to a broader extent. Fifthly, impact factors of family-friendly decoupling in market cultures suggests a more diversified way to introduce family-friendly policies. Hence, introducing family-friendly policies through regulations in organizations showing higher levels of market culture appears to be more effective, whereas introducing these policies through authorities in organizations showing lower level of market culture are considered more suitable. In this regard, a more tailored approach depending on different types of organizational culture should be scrutinized. Sixthly, particular types of family-friendly policies should be specified. Types of family-friendly policies shouldn't be labeled under nominal titles, but should be specified in detail based on institutional characteristics. Throughout this process, the compatibility between specific family-friendly policy types, organizational characteristics, and individual attributes should be determined. Lastly, differentiation in impact factors between decoupling of childbirth/childcare policies and decoupling of work hour policies necessitates techniques to reduce decoupling of specific institutions for family-friendly policies. In the case of childbirth/childcare policies, paternity leave and childcare leave for male spouses are highly recommended. Additionally, a more realistic implementation of childbirth/childcare policies over non-regular employments, and training programs on work-family subjects for workplace supervisors should be developed. Meanwhile, more tailored policies should be implemented on work hour policies depending on organizational types and organizational ages. Also, peer support should be encouraged through building work-family related training programs, but should also be supplemented with additional tools in order to avoid putting pressure on individuals. Furthermore, it is highly recommended to obtain procedural fairness through simplifying application processes of work-hour policies, and to prevent discriminatory approaches towards these policies based on member ages.
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