Organizational psychological ownership drives employee-AI collaboration via AI crafting under paternalistic leadership.

Qichao Zhang, Feiwen Wang, Ganli Liao

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Qichao ZhangBusiness School, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, Beijing, China.

Feiwen WangBusiness School, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, Beijing, China.

Ganli LiaoBusiness School, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, Beijing, China. glliao@bistu.edu.cn.

Funding

Research Project on Teacher Development in Beijing No. GJ2023001the National Social Science Foundation of China No. 24CGL122

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping organizational operations, yet many firms face challenges in fostering effective human-AI collaboration due to employee resistance and uncertainty. Guided by trait activation theory (TAT) and sense-making theory (SMT), this study investigates how organizational psychological ownership (OPO), when activated by paternalistic leadership, enhances employee-AI collaboration through AI crafting. Paternalistic leadership, a leadership style rooted in Eastern culture, comprises benevolent, moral, and authoritative dimensions, which collectively provide strong situational cues that shape employees' cognitive and behavioral responses during AI-driven transformation. Using three-wave survey data from 633 employees in nine Chinese service firms, the findings reveal that OPO positively influences AI crafting and employee-AI collaboration, with AI crafting also serving as a key mechanism. Furthermore, these relationships are strengthened under higher levels of paternalistic leadership. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the role of OPO in AI-enabled workplaces as well as reveal the importance of paternalistic leadership as a boundary condition in employee-AI collaboration.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceCooperative BehaviorLeadershipOrganizational CulturePaternalismHumansOwnershipWorkplaceAI craftingEmployee-AI collaborationOrganizational psychological ownershipPaternalistic leadershipSense-making theoryTrait activation theory

Identifiers

PMID41857083

DOI10.1038/s41598-026-36152-7

PMCPMC13139438

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.