Psychological ownership: theoretical extensions, measurement and relation to work outcomes

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. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.