Toward a circumplex model of psychological ownership

Introduction. Psychological ownership (PO) has gained prominence in organizational psychology, yet literature remains fragmented as studies focus on various facets, limiting comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Purpose. This research proposes and empirically tests a theoretical circumplex model of psychological ownership based on two main axes: cognitive versus affective, and promotive versus preventive. Crossing these axes yields four distinct ownership forms: Proud (promotive-affective), Efficacious (promotive-cognitive), Protective (preventive-affective), and Secured (preventive-cognitive), each hypothesized to generate different organizational outcomes. Method. Two longitudinal studies were conducted to test the model. Study 1 (N=358) employed ipsative measurement across five organizational domains (brand, work objects, professional role, work group, organization). Study 2 (N=225) used Likert-scale measures and included convergent validity scales (organizational identification, commitment, attachment, job insecurity, territoriality). Confirmatory factor analysis for ipsative data was performed implementing specific constraints to address linear dependencies inherent in ipsative measures. Results. Study 1 supported the three-factor circumplex structure (excluding Protective due to ipsative constraints) with adequate model fit. Factor correlations aligned with theoretical predictions. Study 2 confirmed convergent-discriminant validity, with ownership factors significantly showing the expected relationships in most cases. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct ownership profiles, each demonstrating unique patterns across criterion variables. Conclusions. This circumplex model provides the first integrated framework explaining psychological ownership's multifaceted nature. The findings demonstrate that psychological ownership encompasses distinct cognitive and affective orientations with different motivational bases, offering both theoretical coherence and practical implications for organizational interventions targeting specific ownership orientations.