Tripartite Dimensions of Psychological Ownership and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: A Correlational Study

Abstract

The present quantitative study investigates the dimensions of Psychological Ownership (PO); Affection (POA), Connectedness (POC) and Obligation (POO) as correlates to Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) among employees at higher and lower hierarchical levels in the organisation. Utilising a cross-sectional correlational design, the research compared managerial (n = 76) and non-managerial (n = 57) with a total of 133 employees to identify disparities in organisational possessiveness and the predictive validity of PO dimensions on discretionary work behaviours. Data were analysed using t-tests, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. Results revealed, as hypothesised, a statistically significant hierarchical difference, with managerial employees reporting substantially higher levels of PO than non-managerial employees (t = 4.89 at df (78) with p < .001). The Obligation dimension exhibits the most pronounced disparity with Cohen’s d = 1.08, which shows a larger effect size. Furthermore, all PO dimensions were significantly and positively correlated with OCB (p < .001), where obligation emerged as the strongest correlate (r = .49). Regression analysis confirms, psychological ownership as predictor of OCB, accounting for 18.6% of its variance (R² = .186, β = .431, p < .001). These findings suggest that organisational interventions aimed at fostering a “culture of ownership,” particularly increased autonomy and stewardship for lower-level employees, are essential for enhancing citizenship behaviours and overall organisational health.