Employee psychological ownership and work attitudes

PurposeThis study aims to explain the link between employee psychological ownership (EPO) and work engagement (WE). The authors conceptualize EPO as a combination of various personal resources, i.e. self-efficacy, self-identity, accountability, belongingness and territoriality, and expected it to positively contribute to WE.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze survey data from employees of a public service organization in Greece and verify key findings using a two-wave cross-sectional survey design targeting a heterogeneous population of employees in the United States of America.FindingsThe findings indicate that EPO is positively related to WE and job satisfaction mediates the relationship between EPO and WE. Furthermore, the authors' results support the discriminant validity between promotive EPO, preventative EPO (territoriality), WE and job satisfaction.Originality/valueThe present study provides a deeper understanding of EPO, as it is explained in the theoretical foundations of the job demands-resources model (JD-R) model and helps us understand how EPO can affect WE.