Who are the champions of workplace innovations? Playful use of technology and psychological ownership for championing Industry 4.0 technologies
基于扩展自我理论，研究员工对工业4.0技术的有趣使用如何通过心理所有权促进创新倡导行为，对管理者培养创新推动者具有参考价值。
Drawing on extended self theory, we propose that developing psychological ownership of an innovation is a key mechanism for cultivating innovation champions–employees who actively advocate for and support innovation within organisations. To test this framework, we examined the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies (I40T) using three-wave, multisource data from 255 employees and their managers. The findings indicate that engaging with workplace technologies in a playful manner fosters psychological ownership of I40T, which in turn predicts innovation championing. Moreover, employees’ implementation efficacy strengthened the positive relationships. This study offers a novel perspective on innovation implementation through the lens of extended self theory and provides actionable insights into how playful use of technology can foster a stronger sense of ownership, thereby developing champions of innovation in the workplace. By utilising a non-Western sample, the study also extends the scope of playful work design and psychological ownership research beyond Western contexts.