Psychological Ownership: proposta di un modello circomplesso

Introduzione. Psychological ownership (PO) has gained prominence in organizational psychology, yet literature remains fragmented, limiting comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. Obiettivi. This research proposes a circumplex model of psychological ownership based on two axes: cognitive vs affective; promotive vs preventive. Crossing these axes yields four ownership forms: Proud (promotive-affective), Efficacious (promotive-cognitive), Protective (preventive-affective), and Secured (preventive-cognitive), each generating different organizational outcomes. Metodo. Two longitudinal studies were conducted. Study 1 employed ipsative measurement across five organizational domains (brand, work objects, professional role, work group, organization). Study 2 used Likert-scale measures and included convergent validity scales (organizational identification, commitment, attachment, job insecurity, territoriality). Risultati. Study 1 supported the three-factor circumplex structure (excluding Protective due to ipsative constraints) with adequate model fit (χ²(77) = 284.04; RMSEA = .087; CFI = .811; SRMR = .065). Factor correlations aligned with theoretical predictions: Proud and Efficacious showed a moderate positive correlation (r = .554), while Secured correlated negatively with both (r = -.862 and r = -.835). Study 2 confirmed convergent-discriminant validity, with ownership factors displaying expected relationships in most cases, and cluster analysis revealing four distinct profiles with unique patterns across criterion variables. However, the Likert-format CFA warrants further investigation: the near-perfect Proud– Efficacious correlation (r = .937) and low AVE for Efficacious suggest multiple factorial solutions may be plausible, indicating the need for item revision and model comparison before drawing definitive conclusions about the four-factor structure in normative formats. Limiti. Ipsative methodology required omitting Protective ownership from simultaneous analysis. The sample was limited to specific organizational contexts, potentially affecting generalizability. Aspetti innovativi. This circumplex model provides the first integrated framework explaining psychological ownership's multifaceted nature, offering theoretical coherence and practical implications for organizational interventions targeting specific ownership orientations.