Modification, elaboration and empirical evaluation of a psychological ownership structural model

Date
2019-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The level of work performance attained by an individual employee is the expression of the lawful interaction of a complex nomological network of latent variables that characterise the individual and his or her work environment. A critical latent variable in this nomological network that influences work performance is psychological ownership. Psychological ownership is a unidimensional, intrapersonal psychological state (affective, cognitive and conative) in which an employee develops an attachment to a target of ownership (job or organisation), through specific actions (routes) aimed at the satisfaction of specific human motives (roots). It is a crucial psychological state that a company needs to cultivate and foster in its employees if it wishes to attain competitive advantage in the market. A substantive number of studies have empirically demonstrated a link between psychological ownership and a range of desirable behaviours and attitudes such as organisational citizenship behaviour, organisational commitment, job satisfaction and work engagement. The objective of this study was to modify, elaborate and empirically evaluate the psychological ownership structural model developed by Lee (2017). The overarching research-initiating question that underpinned this study was therefore: What other latent variables and critical psychological conditions, besides those identified by Lee (2017), create variance in psychological ownership? Furthermore, the study also focused on the question concerning the potential reciprocal relationship between performance outcomes and psychological ownership: How do performance outcomes create variance in the psychological state of psychological ownership? An elaborated explanatory psychological ownership structural model, derived through theorising, was proposed. An ex post facto correlation design, with structural equation modelling (SEM) as the analysis technique, was used to empirically evaluate the secondgeneration psychological ownership structural model. The final sample comprised of 340 permanent, full-time employees across various industries, organisations, job levels and countries. The psychometric properties of the measurement instruments were investigated via item analysis and dimensionality analysis. Successful operationalisation of the latent variables that comprise the structural model was confirmed by the finding of close measurement model fit and satisfactory measurement model parameter estimates. The revised psychological ownership structural model obtained reasonable fit. Support was obtained for 20 of the 23 proposed path-specific substantive hypotheses. Only one hypothesis was not corroborated and two could not be tested. The study concludes with the theoretical and managerial implications of the research findings, the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die vlak van werksprestasie wat deur ‘n individuele werknemer bereik word is die uitdrukking van die wetmatige interaksie van ‘n komplekse nomologiese netwerk van latente veranderlikes wat die individu en sy of haar werksomgewing kenmerk. ‘n Kritieke latente veranderlike in hierdie nomologiese netwerk wat werksprestasie beïnvloed is sielkundige eienaarskap. Sielkundige eienaarskap is ‘n eendimensionele, interapersoonlike sielkundige toestand (affektief, kognitief, en konatief) waarin ‘n individu ‘n verbondenheid tot ‘n teiken van eienaarskap (beroep of organisasie) ontwikkel, deur spesifieke aksies (roetes) wat gemik is op die bevrediging van spesifieke menslike behoeftes (oorsprong). Dit is ‘n noodsaaklike sielkundige toestand wat ‘n maatskappy in sy werknemers behoort te ontwikkel en bevorder indien die maatskappy ‘n mededingende voordeel in die mark wil verseker. ‘n Beduidende aantal studies het ‘n empiriese verband aangetoon tussen sielkundige eienaarskap en ‘n reeks wenslike gedragsvorme en houdings soos organisatoriese burgerskapsgedrag, organisatoriese toewyding, werkstevredenheid en werksbetrokkenheid. Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om die sielkundige eienaarskap strukturele model ontwikkel deur Lee (2017) aan te pas, uit te brei, en empiries te evalueer. Die oorkoepelende navorsings-inisiërende vraag wat hierdie studie onderlê het, was dus: Watter ander latente veranderlikes en kritieke sielkundige toestande, buiten dié wat deur Lee (2017) geïdentifiseer is, veroorsaak variansie in sielkundige eienaarskap? Verder het die studie ook gefokus op die vraag rakende die potensiële wedersydse verwantskap tussen werksprestasie-uitkomste en sielkundige eienaarskap: Hoe skep werksprestasie-uitkomste variansie in die sielkundige toestand van sielkundige eienaarskap? ‘n Uitgebreide verklarende sielkundige eienaarskap strukturele model, afgelei deur teoretisering, was voorgestel in hierdie studie. ‘n Ex post facto korrelasieontwerp, met strukturele-vergelyking-modellering (SEM) as die ontledingstegniek, is gebruik om die tweede-generasie sielkundige eienaarskap strukturele model empiries te evalueer. Die finale steekproef het bestaan uit 340 permanente, voltydse werknemers vanuit verskillende industrieë, organisasies, posvlakke en lande. Die psigometriese eienskappe van die metingsinstrumente is deur itemontleding en dimensie-ontleding ondersoek. Die suksesvolle operasionalisering van die latente veranderlikes waaruit die strukterele model bestaan is bevestig deur die bevinding van goeie metingsmodel pasgehalte en bevredigende metingsmodelparameterskattings. Die hersiene sielkundige eienaarskap model het redelike pasgehalte getoon. Steun is vir 20 van die 23 voorgestelde baan-spesifieke substantiewe hipoteses verkry. Slegs een hipotese is nie bevestig nie, en twee kon nie getoets word nie. Die studie sluit af met die teoretiese- en bestuursimplikasies van die navorsingsbevindinge, die beperkinginge van die studie, en voorstelle vir verdere navorsing.
Description
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Employee loyalty, Work environment -- Psychological aspects, Employee motivation, Organizational behavior, UCTD
Citation