Psychological Ownership Theory Research Articles

Engaging management accountants in corporate sustainability

PurposeExpectations regarding the participation of management accountants (MAs) in the promotion of sustainability of multinational enterprises (MNEs) have been poorly realised. This raises the question of whether MAs are invited to join in sustainability promotion or does sustainability not fit the perceived professional role of MAs. We suggest that the development of individual-level engagement of corporate sustainability is required for MAs to start contributing to corporate sustainability.Design/methodology/approachWe utilise the psychological ownership theory to investigate how MAs’ professional role could develop to incorporate advancing sustainability. Our qualitative study is based on 32 interviews conducted in seven local business units of three different technology-oriented MNEs.FindingsWe reveal features connected to the professional role of MAs that may impede the activation of the routes to psychological ownership of corporate sustainability, thus undermining their involvement in corporate sustainability enhancement. Moreover, we show that MAs’ own perceptions of their professional role may impede the stimulation of the routes.Originality/valueFrom a managerial viewpoint, our study helps readers to understand how the routes to psychological ownership of corporate sustainability could be cultivated in the development of the future role of MAs. It also gives input for MA professional organisations and MA professional education providers to develop conditions that foster sustainability thinking among MAs. Moreover, by integrating the examination of MAs’ professional role with the psychological ownership theory, we broaden the theoretical scene both in management accounting and in business sustainability research.

Is it important for tourists to say, “This is my destination?”

This study aims to investigate the relationships among tourist motivations, destination psychological ownership (DPO), tourist satisfaction, on-the-spot behavior, braggart word-of-mouth (WOM), and revisit intention. Although the available research examines the antecedents and outcomes of DPO, this study integrates tourist motivations and DPO into the same model by considering the theory of psychological ownership. The model was tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The results show that the effect of some of the elements related to tourist motivation and DPO on tourist satisfaction are significant. Moreover, DPO positively affects braggart WOM and revisit intention, whereas tourist satisfaction has a significant effect on on-the-spot behavior and revisit intention.

From HR Practices to HR Performance: A Psychological Ownership Meta-Analysis Across Cultures

This study utilizes psychological ownership theory as theoretical framework to examine high-performance work practices, and attitudinal and behavioral performance as associations of psychological ownership on the population level. Psychological ownership describes a mindset which allows individuals to experience ownership feelings for a target (e.g., organization) regardless of legal ownership rights. Further, psychological ownership theory is integrated with and extended by contingency theory to analyze the moderation effects of societal culture. These effects have been assumed for over 30 years but hardly backed by empirical evidence from cross-cultural samples. Thus, this study analyzes data from 351,919 individuals who participated in 139 published and unpublished studies, using rigorous and advanced meta-analytic techniques. The results show that compensation and benefits, job and work design, and communication practices foster psychological ownership, which in turn enhances constructive deviant behavior, task performance, and favorable attitude while weakening unfavorable attitude. Societal culture significantly strengthens these relationships.

“This is MY PhD project… or is it?” Understanding perceived doctoral project ownership through psychological ownership mapping

AbstractThis paper investigates PhD student's perceived feeling of project ownership and how it influences their project management. Drawing on psychological ownership (PO) theory and the PO mapping method, this study identifies distinct project ownership paths among students, revealing how project engagement can be improved. The findings demonstrate the importance of carefully considered and timely student-supervisor expectation discussions to help influence project ownership. To this end, the paper offers several routes of ownership that can influence project ownership among PhD students.

Accessing the influence of perceived brand authenticity and value co-creation on brand loyalty of China’s insurgent brands: The mediating role of psychological ownership

This study is motivated by the need to thoroughly investigate the impact of perceived brand authenticity and value co-creation on brand loyalty within the context of China's insurgent brands. In particular, the study uses the psychological ownership theory to examine the mediating role of psychological ownership. The dynamic nature of the Chinese market underscores the significance of understanding how these factors influence consumer behavior and brand loyalty in this specific context. SmartPLS 3.0 software was used to conduct a thorough analysis of a substantial dataset consisting of 368 completed survey responses which were collected through a robust technique that included online survey questionnaires and purposive sampling. The findings demonstrate positive associations between perceived brand authenticity, value co-creation, psychological ownership and brand loyalty with psychological ownership serving as a mediating mechanism. This study underscores their role in propelling brand loyalty, thereby contributing to the growth and success of China’s insurgent brands emphasizing the importance of marketing strategies that prioritize authenticity, value co-creation and psychological ownership. Additionally, this research extends the application of psychological ownership theory to the distinctive landscape of China’s insurgent brands addressing a void in empirical research. The insights derived from this study provide valuable guidance for insurgent brands looking to foster brand loyalty in this specific context laying the groundwork for strategic marketing approaches in the dynamic Chinese market.

Organizational psychological ownership and innovative work behavior: the roles of coexisting knowledge sharing and hiding across organizational contexts

Purpose Drawing upon psychological ownership theory, the aim of this study was to uncover the coexisting mediating effects of knowledge sharing and hiding on the relationship between employees’ organizational psychological ownership (OPO) and their innovative work behavior (IWB). The moderating role of organizational context in these mediating relationships was further examined to determine the moderated mediation paths. Design/methodology/approach This study mainly used a survey-based research method and collected data from 512 professionals from both public and private organizations in Pakistan to test our proposed hypotheses. Findings The results showed that coexisting knowledge sharing and hiding mediated the relationship between employees’ OPO and IWB. Furthermore, organizational context moderated the mediated relationships, providing support for the moderated mediation framework. Practical implications The results highlight the significance of fostering employees’ OPO to enhance their IWB by promoting knowledge sharing and preventing knowledge hiding. This study also urges managers to consider the contingency effect of organizational contexts when promoting employees’ IWB in emerging economies. Originality/value The results obtained in this study suggest that the knowledge behavior paradox occurs in organizations, and distinct organizational contexts play crucial but differential roles in intervening in the effect of employees’ OPO on their IWB. This study empirically validated this complex mechanism in an important emerging economy in Asia.

Disobeying the Leader: Creative Deviance as a Mechanism Between Psychological Ownership and Social Undermining

Many innovative products are attributable to employees disobeying the mandate of their supervisors to stop working on a creative idea, that is, creative deviance. Surprisingly, there has been a dearth of empirical research on this important construct, and the possible negative social outcomes of creative deviance remain unexplored. This research integrates psychological ownership theory and motivated information processing theory to theoretically delineate psychological ownership as an antecedent of creative deviance. We further explore social undermining as a negative outcome of creative deviance and investigate the leader–member exchange (LMX) as a boundary condition of the association between creative deviance and social undermining. In a series of three studies, we validate an existing scale for creative deviance, and utilize multiple methods to test our full moderated-mediation model. Findings suggest that creative deviance partially mediates the relationship between psychological ownership and experienced social undermining and LMX attenuates the relationship between creative deviance and experienced social undermining. Our research has important theoretical and practical implications as it explores the darker sides of creative deviance.

Equity ownership and identification with the founding team

AbstractFounders benefit from identifying with their founding teams because identification facilitates cooperation in the team, aligns founders' actions with the norms and interests of the team, and, ultimately, enhances team performance. High identification with the team is likely to be shaped by structural characteristics of the founding team and, more specifically, founders' equity stakes—that is, founders' legal ownership of the venture. In the present study, we explore the consequences of equity ownership on a founder's subsequent identification with the team. We build on psychological ownership theory to theorize that, on the one hand, equity can trigger feelings of responsibility and care for the venture, but, on the other, it can also drive possessiveness and territoriality. These two opposing sides of psychological ownership suggest a curvilinear relationship between equity ownership and a founder's subsequent identification with the team. As equity is a team reward, we suggest that founders' perceptions of team performance accentuate the relationship. Longitudinal data including 156 data points from 82 founders support our theorizing. We discuss implications for the literatures on team identification, equity ownership, and psychological ownership.

Commitment to organizational change: The role of territoriality and change-related self-efficacy

Employee lack of commitment to change is a major management problem with negative consequences including change implementation failures. In this research, we draw on psychological ownership theory to examine the impact of employees’ territorial behaviors (i.e., personalization and reactionary defense) on commitment to change via the mediating role of change-related self-efficacy. We employ a two-wave survey to collect data from 203 participants undergoing organizational change (office relocation, technological change). Results of structural equation modeling suggest that personalization relates positively to commitment to change, while reactionary defense relates negatively to commitment to change. We find further that change-related self-efficacy fully mediates these effects. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

I Feel Like Owning It! Exploring the Antecedents of Psychological Ownership and Its Impact on Brand Loyalty in Digital Content Marketing

Content marketing is an effective approach to brand communication on social media and can inspire people to develop a sense of “ownership” toward the product/brand featured in branded content. Drawing on the theory of psychological ownership and the uses and gratification theory, this study proposed a comprehensive framework to explicate how individual motivations serve as precursors of psychological ownership toward products featured in content marketing, via two processing routes or intermediaries, namely consumers’ flow experience and perceived content value. As such, this study identified six motivations explicating why consumers engage with content marketing: content inspiration, brand likeability, brand conversation, incentive, habitual pass time, and personal identity. Specifically, we found that some antecedents—the motivations of content inspiration, brand likability, brand conversation, and personal identity—positively predicted psychological ownership, via increasing flow and content value, respectively. Furthermore, psychological ownership was positively related to brand loyalty. These findings propose a comprehensive model explaining the process through which content marketing affects psychological ownership and subsequent brand loyalty.

The value of psychological ownership: how buy-online-and-pick-up-in-store enhances consumer loyalty

PurposeAlthough buy-online-and-pick-up-in-store (BOPS) has been widely implemented by companies, scant attention has been paid to its effect on consumer experience and the concomitant outcomes. Using the psychological ownership theory, this study aims to examine whether and how the BOPS experience (vs online experience) can enhance consumer loyalty.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 investigated the consumer loyalty of shopping experience (self-pickup vs delivery) on actual consumer behavior through secondary data. Studies 2, 3 and 4 were controlled experiments to further investigate the mediating effect of product psychological ownership, and the moderating effects of product type and postdecision experience valence.FindingsThe authors found that BOPS shopping led to higher consumer loyalty (i.e. repeat purchase and repeat purchase frequency) compared with online shopping. Furthermore, the authors examined that this effect was mediated by product psychological ownership and moderated by product type and postdecision experience valence.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretical speculations about how BOPS shopping affects consumer experience should be probed in future research.Practical implicationsRetailers with physical stores can offer in-store pickup options for their online consumers to increase their product psychological ownership and consumer loyalty. And the positive effects of the BOPS strategy relied on product type and postdecision experience valence.Originality/valueThis research offers theoretical contributions to research on the BOPS strategy, psychological ownership theory and consumer loyalty.

Exploring psychological mechanisms behind tourists’ sustainable behaviours at homestays

Homestay-based tourism is fraught with the challenge of what may prompt tourists to behave sustainably. Current research argues that tourists’ sustainable behaviours can be a function of the psychological ownership they experience towards the homestays. By applying the tenets of psychological ownership theory, this study also theorizes the predictors of psychological ownership towards the homestays. Data collected from homestay tourists in the rural Himalayan region is employed to test the hypotheses. Results reveal that tourists’ perceived control over homestays, their intimate knowledge, and self-investment during interactions with the homestays predict psychological ownership towards homestays which further explains tourists’ loyalty towards the homestays, a sense of localism, and pro-environmental behaviours representing the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable behaviours, respectively. This study demonstrates psychological ownership towards the homestays as a novel mechanism for sustainable tourist behaviours and establishes the routes to this state while broadening the scope of psychological ownership theory in tourism literature. On practical implications, this research lays down the markers that marketers can employ to design corresponding behavioural interventions aimed at stimulating tourists’ psychological ownership towards the homestays and thereby augment sustainable behaviours.

Understanding psychological ownership in access-based consumption through a theory synthesis: an investigation of Airbnb and hotels

ABSTRACT Access-based consumption has received close attention from academics and industry practitioners in recent years. However, the nature of this type of consumption and the corresponding concept of psychological ownership are yet to be fully understood in hospitality services. This study referred to self-determination theory and psychological ownership theory to examine antecedents and outcomes of psychological ownership in the accommodation context. Two studies were conducted: Study 1 empirically assessed theoretical relationships among the constructs with an Airbnb customer sample, and Study 2 evaluated the proposed model with a hotel sample. Findings highlighted identity and existential authenticity as consistent antecedents of psychological ownership while intimacy and communal identity were not. Multi-group analysis indicated that the two samples’ path coefficients did not significantly differ, providing empirical evidence that supports the proposition that Airbnb and hotels both fall into the category of access-based consumption. The findings provide important insight into similarities and differences between new and traditional access-based consumption.

The Effects of Environmental Education on Residents' Ecological Security Behavior: The Mediating Role of Nature's Psychological Ownership Perspective and The Moderating Role of Visual Fluency.

Residents are one of the most significant stakeholder groups in ecologically vulnerable regions, and the local ecological environmental governance efforts require their active cooperation and participation. To this end, this study leverages the sampled survey data from residents across 14 cities in Guangxi, China, and uses a structural equation modeling analysis to explore the impact of environmental education perception on residents' ecological security behavior. The results indicate that psychological ownership of nature plays a positive mediating role between environmental education perception and residents' ecological security behavior, as well as between ecological consciousness and residents' ecological security behavior, thereby supporting the idea that a sense of stewardship in protecting ecological security is a key factor in residents' conversion of their ecological protection cognition into practical actions. Further research finds that visual fluency has a moderating effect on the relationship between environmental education perception and psychological ownership of nature. This study provides new insights into the theoretical understanding of the formation mechanism of residents' ecological security behavior, enriches the theory of psychological ownership, and offers policy recommendations for governments implementing ecological environmental propaganda programs.

Innocence versus Coolness: the influence of brand personality on consumers’ preferences

PurposeBuilding on the theory of brand psychological ownership, this paper aims to explore the mediating role of brand psychological ownership in the relationship between brand personality (innocence/coolness) and consumers’ preferences, as well as identify the boundary conditions of this relationship.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, a series of four experiments were conducted in Wuhan, a city in southern China, using questionnaires administered at two universities and two supermarkets. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.FindingsThe results indicate that brand personality, specifically the dimensions of innocence and coolness, has a significant impact on consumers’ brand preferences. Brands with a cool personality are preferred over those with an innocent personality. Moreover, the relationship between brand personality and consumers’ brand preferences is moderated by power motivation and identity centrality.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by differentiating between brand personality of innocence and coolness as two separate constructs and proposing brand psychological ownership as a mechanism through which brand personality affects brand preferences. The study’s samples were drawn from universities and supermarkets in southern China, providing evidence for the significant moderating effects of power motivation and identity centrality on consumers’ brand preferences.

Gen Xers: Perceived barriers and motivators to fashion renting from the Indian cultural context

AbstractRecently, the thought processes of consumers are evolving universally, making them reflective of the detrimental ecological footprints owing to excessive fashion consumption at a personal level. Consequently, they are increasingly thinking about accessing alternative, sustainable modes of consuming fashion. Furthermore, this transition is being witnessed across the generations and is not confined to any one generation. The current study pertains to the recent shift of “Generation X" towards fashion rentals. However, Gen X is considered less experimental, more conservative, and therefore less lucrative. To this end, the current study explores the barriers to Gen X's adoption of fashion rental and suggests motivations to promote it. It employs an interpretive qualitative research paradigm, obtains data from 32 Gen X fashion consumers via semi‐structured interviews, analyses the data using thematic analysis, and uses the theory of psychological ownership and the Hofstede cultural dimensions as an underpinning framework. Results indicate the emergence of six themes representing barriers, including loss of efficacy and effectance, loss of self‐identity and extended self, temporariness, environmental unsustainability, personal hygiene behaviour, and lifestyle. Similarly, motivations included three themes: long‐term subscriptions; transparency and assurances; and personalisation and storytelling. This implies that fashion rental firms need to embrace transparency and empower consumers through co‐creation, long‐term rental subscriptions, and the possibilities of possession. Further, the paper contributes to the identification of new dimensions, including a lack of nostalgia, risk avoidance, personal hygiene, an absence of personalisation, a dearth of education, emotional detachment, and voluntary simplicity in lifestyle. It also suggests future research.

Slowing Down in “Little Shanghai”: A Nostalgia-induced Framework of Reciprocity between Psychological Ownership and Heritage Preservation

While the phenomenon of nostalgic heritage travel has gained traction, scarce inquiries have researched how nostalgia for heritage sites can render a means for heritage preservation. This inquiry utilized a multi-method qualitative design, with Study 1 inferring nostalgic heritage travel motivations from travel experiences documented in online travel diaries. Study 2 adopted the psychological ownership theory with data originating from semi-structured interviews to construct a nostalgia-induced framework of reciprocity between psychological ownership and heritage preservation. Findings first unveil an array of nostalgic heritage travel motives ranging from nostalgic reminiscing and glorification to nostalgia-induced playfulness and healing. Further, findings point to a reciprocal pattern of psychological ownership–heritage preservation fostered by three routes: exercise of control, intimate knowing, and investment of the self. Together, this research illuminates a past–present–future synthesis of self–place relations. It presents the concept of reciprocity driven by nostalgia to increase understanding of heritage preservation.

How does ad relevance affect consumers' attitudes toward personalized advertisements and social media platforms? The role of information co-ownership, vulnerability, and privacy cynicism

Consumers' responses to the use of their personal data for personalized advertising by platform providers are paradoxical. Drawing from psychological ownership theory and the collective information boundary, this study examines how the social relevance and personal relevance of ads impact consumers' attitudes toward advertisements and social media platforms. Basing on 350 responses, we confirm that perceptions of information co-ownership and feelings of vulnerability play a serial mediating role in the positive relationship between ad relevance and consumer attitudes. Specifically, ad relevance increases consumers' perceptions of social media platforms as co-owners of their personal information, which in turn reduces feelings of vulnerability and improves their attitudes toward personalized advertisements and social media platforms. Privacy cynicism negatively moderates the indirect effects of information co-ownership perceptions on two attitude variables mediated through feelings of vulnerability. Our research findings provide a new perspective on the personalization–privacy paradox and offer platform providers new insights into improving their personalized advertising performance and user–platform relationships.

Managing asymmetrical supply chain relationships: psychological ownership and commitment in the agri-food sector

PurposeIn this paper, the authors integrate the psychological ownership theory with the concept of commitment to contribute to the discussion on agricultural supply chain management. The purpose of this study is to examine how farmers experience their commitment to the business relationship with the processor and how this is conveyed through the routes of psychological ownership.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data are based on 14 in-depth face-to-face Finnish farmer interviews. To understand the farmers’ routes to psychological ownership, the critical incidents technique was used.FindingsAccording to the three routes to psychological ownership – control, profound knowledge and self-investment – the authors argue that farmers mainly consider their routes to be more or less blocked because of the asymmetrical power and information distribution in the business relationship with the processor. Furthermore, based on farmers’ perceptions of psychological ownership, the authors provide a farmer typology that reflects in the farmers’ willingness to commit to the business relationship. The identified types are named as satisfied, captives and leavers.Originality/valueBy integrating the theory of psychological ownership with the concept of commitment, this study provides a more robust understanding of how farmers experience their commitment to the business relationship, thus, contributing to the literature on supply chain management in the agri-food business context. Implementation of these findings can help business partners to proactively improve their business relationships through the perceived level of commitment and to deal with critical incidents influencing the effectiveness of the whole chain.

The role of public space in constructing experience capital: A longitudinal analysis in the hotel context

Public space plays a primary role in shaping customers' hospitality experiences. Yet how public space conditions customers' experiential outcomes in accumulating capital for hospitality organizations remains underexplored. Inspired by the theory of psychological ownership, this research presents an in-depth analysis of the impacts of customers' public space experiences on their experiential outcomes using a longitudinal hotel industry dataset merging information from customer surveys, property performance, and surrounding accessibility insights. Findings revealed the positive effects of customers’ public space experiences on their overall service experiences, the perceived value of the experience, revisit intentions, and recommendation intentions. Moreover, hotel class, other customers, and surrounding accessibility were empirically verified as moderators conditioning the positive impact of public space. These findings offer valuable implications for theory and practice that are worthy of further exploration.