PSYCHOLOGICAL OWNERSHIP, TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR, AND BEING PERCEIVED AS A TEAM CONTRIBUTOR: THE CRITICAL ROLE OF TRUST IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT

    Authors

    G. Brown; C. Crossley;S. L. Robinson

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Pers. Psychol.

    Keywords

    JOB CHARACTERISTICS; SELF; ORGANIZATIONS; INFORMATION; PERFORMANCE; CONSEQUENCES; ATTITUDES; CONTEXT; DESIGN; MODEL; Psychology, Applied; Management

    Abstract

    In this field study, we develop and test a theory regarding the role of trust in the work environment as a critical condition that determines the relationship between psychological ownership, territoriality, and being perceived as a team contributor. We argue that, dependent upon the context of trust in the work environment, psychological ownership may lead to territorial behaviors of claiming and anticipatory defending and that, dependent upon the context of trust, territorial behavior may lead coworkers to negatively judge the territorial employee as less of a team contributor. A sample of working adults reported on their psychological ownership and territorial behavior toward an important object at work, and a coworker of each provided evaluations on the level of trust in the work environment and rated the focal individual's contributions to the team. Findings suggest that a work environment of trust is a double-edged sword: On the one hand, a high trust environment reduces the territorial behavior associated with psychological ownership; on the other hand, when territorial behavior does occur in high trust environments, coworkers rate the territorial employee's contributions to the team significantly lower. We discuss the nature and management of territorial behavior in light of these findings.

    Journal Title

    Personnel Psychology

    Volume

    67

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    463

    Last Page

    485

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000334252500005

    ISSN

    0031-5826

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