Organizational Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Employees Taking Charge in Chinese Manufacturing Industry: A Moderated Mediation Model

ABSTRACT The increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Chinese manufacturing industry is driving workflow optimization and employee productivity improvements. However, evidence suggests that the use of AI technology increases the complexity and uncertainty of organizational environments, creating many challenges for employees. Utilizing data from 337 participants collected through a three‐stage, time‐lagged survey, this study investigates the impact of organizational AI adoption on employees' taking charge behavior through the lens of conservation of resources theory. The findings reveal that psychological availability mediates the influence of organizational AI adoption on employees' taking charge. Employee approach‐avoidance motivation plays a moderating role in this relationship. Specifically, approach motivation amplifies the positive impact of organizational AI adoption on psychological availability, whereas avoidance motivation diminishes it. These insights offer significant theoretical and practical contributions to the discourse on the relationship between organizational AI adoption and taking charge in the Chinese manufacturing industry.