Who are the champions of workplace innovations? Playful use of technology and psychological ownership for championing Industry 4.0 technologies

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.