Psychological Ownership: Theoretical Extensions, Measurement, and Relation to Work Outcomes

Authors

James B. Avey, Central Washington University
Bruce Avolio, University of Washington
Craig Crossley, University of Nebraska, LincolnFollow
Fred Luthans, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2009

Comments

Published in Journal of Organizational Behavior 30 (2009), 173–191; doi 10.1002/job.583 Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Used by permission. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/4691/home

Abstract

Viewing psychological ownership as a positive resource for impacting human performance in organizations, the present study investigated the components of an expanded view of psychological ownership. Confirmatory factor analyses on a proposed measure of psychological ownership provided support for a positively-oriented, ‘‘promotion-focused’’ aspect of psychological ownership comprised of four dimensions: self-efficacy, accountability, sense of belongingness, and self-identity. In addition, territoriality was examined as a unique and more ‘‘prevention-focused’’ form of ownership. Practical implications and suggestions for future research on psychological ownership and positive organizational behavior conclude the article.