Psychological Ownership: Effects and Applications

19 Pages Posted: 6 Jan 2017

See all articles by Helen Campbell Pickford

Helen Campbell Pickford

University of Oxford - Said Business School

Genevieve Joy

University of Oxford - Said Business School

Kate Roll

University of Oxford - Said Business School

Date Written: October 20, 2016

Abstract

Psychological ownership (PO) can be an important tool for organizations to encourage productivity and certain desirable employee behaviours. In the organizational literature, PO is the sense of ownership over a “target”: not only physical objects, but a concept, a job, or the whole organization. It can express itself in positive ways, such as higher motivation; but it also has potentially negative effects, such as territoriality. This briefing looks closely at the literature to understand the various dimensions of PO, and how organizations can foster the positive aspects of it to help improve employees’ experiences in the workplace by fostering morale while contributing to productivity. By bringing together the most relevant research on the topic, this briefing also highlights areas that are still underdeveloped, such as collective PO, the role of culture, and the employee perspective.

Suggested Citation

Campbell Pickford, Helen and Joy, Genevieve and Roll, Kate, Psychological Ownership: Effects and Applications (October 20, 2016). Saïd Business School WP 2016-32, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2893092 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2893092

Helen Campbell Pickford (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Said Business School ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

Genevieve Joy

University of Oxford - Said Business School ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

Kate Roll

University of Oxford - Said Business School ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

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