Jon L. Pierce

The state of psychological ownership: Integrating and extending a century of research.

People develop feelings of ownership for a variety of objects, material and immaterial in nature. We refer to this state as psychological ownership. Building on and extending previous scholarship, the authors offer a conceptual examination of this construct. After defining psychological ownership, they address “why” it exists and “how” it comes into being. They propose that this state finds its roots in a set of intraindividual motives (efficacy and effectance, self-identity, and having a place to dwell). In addition, they discuss the experiences that give rise to psychological ownership and propose several positive and negative consequences of this state. The authors’ work provides a foundation for the development of a comprehensive theory of psychological ownership and the conceptual underpinnings for empirical testing.

Single-Item Versus Multiple-Item Measurement Scales: An Empirical Comparison

Common methods variance often is a problem with psychological measures that require respondent self-reports of attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and the like. The present study examined this problem by comparing multiple-item, Likert-type measures of psychological constructs to single-item, non-Likert-type measures of the same constructs. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the alternative forms were compared on criteria of methods variance and construct validity. Neither method appeared to be empirically better than the other. Unusual situations in which well-developed single-item measures might be appropriate are discussed.

Self-Esteem Within the Work and Organizational Context: A Review of the Organization-Based Self-Esteem Literature

On numerous occasions it has been suggested that an individual’s self-esteem, formed around work and organizational experiences, plays a significant role in determining employee motivation, work-related attitudes and behaviors. We review more than a decade of research on an organization-based conceptualization of self-esteem. It is observed that sources of organization structure, signals about worth from the organization, as well as, success-building role conditions predict organization-based self-esteem. In addition, organization-based self-esteem is related to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, motivation, citizenship behavior, in-role performance, and turnover intentions, as well as, other important organization-related attitudes and behaviors. Explanations for these effects and directions for future research are discussed.

Work Environment Structure and Psychological Ownership: The Mediating Effects of Control

Current theorists on the psychology of possession highlight control as an important route in the development of feelings of ownership. In the present article, the authors hypothesized that the extent to which individuals experience control over their job and work environment is positively associated with feelings of ownership for their job and the organization. The authors used supervisory report data on work environment structure and self-reports on experienced control and psychological ownership to test for the mediating effects of experienced control in the relationship between the work environment structure and psychological ownership. The authors found that experienced control mediates the relationship between 3 sources of work environment structure—technology, autonomy, and participative decision making—and psychological ownership of the job and (to a lesser extent) the organization. The authors proposed implications of the findings and directions of further research.

Organizational Commitment: Pre-Employment Propensity and Initial Work Experiences

This study tracked the development of organizational commitment from a pre-employment period through the first three months of employment. All major linkages in the Mowday, Porter and Steers (1982) model of the determinants of organizational commitment were tested and supported. Commitment had a strong association with behavioral intentions to turnover, which in turn were significantly associated with subsequent turnover behavior.

The Psychology of Ownership Work Environment Structure, Organizational Commitment, And Citizenship Behaviors

This study explored a potential mediating role of psychological ownership (of the job and the organization) in the relationship between levels of work environment structure and employee responses, in a diverse sample of 239 New Zealand workers and their managers. It was reasoned that low levels of work environment structure permit employees to exercise more personal control, have greater knowledge (of their job and organization), and invest themselves more extensively into their work. Hence, less structured work environments are more conducive to the development of feelings of psychological ownership for the job and organization than are more highly structured work environments that allow less personal control. Results from this investigation suggest that psychological ownership (especially feelings of ownership for the organization) mediates the relationship of work environment structure with employee citizenship behaviors and organizational commitment.

The effects of pay level on organization-based self-esteem and performance: A field study

Most compensation managers implicitly assume (or perhaps hope) that high pay levels will maintain and enhance future performance. To date, this assumption has been largely untested. Given the importance of pay level and the large expense that pay represents to most organizations, understanding how and why pay level influences the behaviour of employees in organizations is an important question. The purpose of this study is to examine the motivational effects of pay level on employee performance. To examine these issues, we collected field study data from a variety of sources, at three different times, and assessed the effects of employee pay level on subsequent self-esteem and performance. Specifically, we hypothesized that the effects of pay level on performance would be mediated by pay level effects on organization-based self-esteem. We base this hypothesis on the premise that level of pay within an organization communicates a sense of how much the organization values an employee and thus affects employee organization-based self-esteem which, in turn, enhances job performance. After controlling for organization tenure, and previous pay change, results supported a mediated model that suggests that pay level affects employee self-esteem, which in turn, affects employee performance.

Alternative work schedules

TD Bank is committed to providing a workplace that creates flexibility in balancing the challenging demands of the workplace. While our ultimate goal is to deliver quality services to our customers, we recognize that employees who are able to balance competing work and personal needs are oftentimes happier and more productive in the workplace. If business needs are being met and the results are meeting, or exceeding expectations, the alternate work arrangement can be positive for all parties.

The Measurement of Perceived Job Characteristics: The Job Diagnostic Survey Versus The Job Characteristics Inventory

The article compares the job diagnostic survey and the job characteristics inventory as a measure of perceived job characteristics. The four a priori dimensions of the job characteristics inventory...

The Psychology of Ownership and Worker-Owner Productivity:

The theoretical and empirical linkages between employee ownership and performance are reviewed. In response to the inconsistent and inconclusive findings of a simple ownership-performance relationship, the authors revisit the conceptualization of ownership and ask how does ownership produce its performance effects. The study offers a “psychology of ownership” perspective on employee ownership, suggesting that ownership be thought of as a dual creation—part an objective and part a psychological state. In response to the question “how” does ownership produce its performance effects, a detailed model is presented that depicts a within-individual, self-esteem-based motivational effect explanation for the ownership-performance relationship.