Original Research
Psychological ownership: Development of an instrument
Submitted: 08 March 2013 | Published: 23 October 2013
About the author(s)
Chantal Olckers, Department of Human Resource Management, University of Pretoria, South AfricaAbstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure psychological ownership in a South African context.
Motivation for the study: It was found that previous instruments for the measurement of psychological ownership lacked the ability to grasp the extensive reach of psychological ownership.
Research design, approach and method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted on a non-probability convenience sample of 713 skilled, highly-skilled and professional employees from various organisations in both the private and public sectors in South Africa.
Main findings: Although a 69-item measurement instrument was developed in order to capture the proposed seven-dimensional psychological ownership construct, it became evident when analysing the data that a four-factor model comprising 35 items was suitable.
Practical/managerial implications: If a sense of psychological ownership toward an organisation could be established amongst its employees by addressing the factors as measured by the South African Psychological Ownership Questionnaire, organisations could become enhanced workplaces and, as a result, sustainable performance could be promoted and staff could be retained.
Contribution/value-add: The instrument for measuring psychological ownership in a South African context could serve as a diagnostic tool that would allow human resource professionals and managers to determine employees’ sense of psychological ownership regarding their organisation and to focus specifically on weak dimensional areas that could be improved.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 7027Total article views: 16551
Crossref Citations
1. The Patient Care Ownership Scale: Development of an Instrument to Measure Patient Care Ownership Among Internal Medicine Trainees
Mia Djulbegovic, Jason W. Beckstead, Liana Fraenkel
Journal of General Internal Medicine vol: 34 issue: 8 first page: 1530 year: 2019
doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-05066-8