Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.8 Dimensions of Psychological Ownership and Brand Psychological Ownership.40
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brand altruistic spirit through brand commitment.
2.8 Dimensions of Psychological Ownership and Brand Psychological Ownership
Building on the concepts of territoriality, four dimensions of psychological ownership proposed by Avey et al. (2009) include self-efficacy, accountability, belongingness, and self-identity. Self-efficacy refers to employees’beliefs that they can successfully implement a specific task assigned by an organization (Avey et al., 2009). Accountability refers to the implicit or explicit expectation that organizational members may be called on to justify their beliefs, feelings, and actions to others (Lerner and Tetlock, 1999; Avey et al., 2009). Belongingness refers to the basic human need for a place in which organizational members can be best understood as the feeling that they belong to the organization (Pierce et al., 2001; Avey et al., 2009).
Self-identity refers to the component of psychological ownership that makes organizational members establish, maintain, reproduce, and transform their self-identity through interaction with tangible and intangible possessions (Pierce et al.
2001; Avey et al., 2009). Building on three traits of organizational psychological ownership which include attitudes, self-concept, and sense of responsibility (Van Dyne et al., 2004); this study argues that employees with brand psychological ownership may have self-image extension. Based on perspectives of scholars (Pierce et al. 2001; Pierce O’Driscoll and Coghlan, 2004 ; Van Dyne et al., 2004 ; Avey et al.,
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2009), five dimensions of brand psychological ownership (BPO) proposed by this study include self-efficacy of corporate brand, image extension of corporate brand, belongingness of corporate brand, accountability of corporate brand, and identification of corporate brand. The dimensions of psychological ownership and brand psychological ownership are presented in Table 2-7.
Table 2-7 Dimensions of Psychological Ownership and Brand Psychological Ownership
Constructs Dimensions or traits Sources
Psychological ownership
Four dimensions include self-efficacy, accountability, belongingness, and self-identity.
Avey et al. (2009)
Psychological ownership
Three traits of psychological ownership include attitudes, self-concept, and sense of responsibility.
Van Dyne et al.
(2004) Brand
psychological ownership
Five dimensions include self-efficacy of corporate brand, image extension of corporate brand, belongingness of corporate brand, accountability of corporate brand, and identification of corporate brand.
This research
Source: this research
2.9 The Definitions of Dimensions of Brand Psychological Ownership
This study further defines five dimensions of brand psychological ownership; the definition of each dimension is discussed as follows.
2.9.1 Self-efficacy of Corporate Brand
Pierce et al. (2001) defines feelings of efficacy and effectance as ownership and the rights that allow individuals to explore and alter their environment, and then
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people’s belief that they can implement a specific task successfully. According to Pierce et al. (2001) and Avey et al. (2009), this study defines self-efficacy of corporate brand as employees’beliefs that they feel they can not only successfully transmit values of corporate brand toward family, friends, or customers, but also can successfully transmit customers’feedbacks to the organization.
2.9.2 Image Extension of Corporate Brand
Ownership is used by people to define themselves, express their self-identity to others, and ensure continuity of the self (Pierce et al., 2001). Organizational members with psychological ownership may establish, maintain, reproduce, and transform their self-identity through interaction with tangible and intangible possessions (Avey et al., 2009), thus contributing to the image extension of tangible and intangible possessions.
Based on perspectives of Pierce et al. (2001) and Avey et al. (2009), this study defines image extension of corporate brand as the cognitions that organizational members expect their family, friends, and customers to feel their image is consistent with the image of corporate brand.
2.9.3 Belongingness of Corporate Brand
Pierce et al. (2001) argues that people tends to devote their energy and resources to tangible and intangible targets that may potentially become their home or “their own”targets. Avey et al. (2009) regards belonging in terms of psychological
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ownership as the feeling that individuals can be best understood and belong in the organization. The root of psychological ownership may satisfy employees’sense of belonging, thus making employees produce favorable feelings toward the organization (Van Dyne et al., 2004). Based on Pierce et al. (2001), Van Dyne et al. (2004), and Avey et al. (2009), this study defines belongingness of corporate brand as cognitions that organizational members feel they are closely linked to the corporate brand, and produce favorable feelings toward the image and personality of corporate brand.
2.9.4 Accountability of Corporate Brand
When individuals have psychological ownership toward targets, a sense of responsibility may be triggered to protect and defend their ownership rights (Van Dyne et al., 2004). Avey et al. (2009) regard accountability as a source of psychological ownership that can make individuals expect responsibilities for targets of ownership and regard these targets as extension of the self. As for corporate brand, this study argues that organizational members with brand psychological ownership have accountability for the corporate brand. Extended from Van Dyne et al. (2004) and Avey et al. (2009), this study defines accountability of corporate brand as responsibilities perceived by organizational members to implement values of corporate brand. Consequently, they defend the corporate brand when others criticize it; they feel pleased when others praise it.
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2.9.5 Identification of Corporate Brand
Specific targets which are classified as the extension of the self may become central to self-identity of individuals such that individuals define themselves as by these targets (Belk, 1988; Avey et al., 2009). As argued by Hatch et al. (2003), three components of corporate branding include strategic vision, organizational culture, and corporate images, making employees have congruent perceptions and identify the corporate brand. Based on Hatch et al. (2003) and Avey et al. (2009), this study defines identification of corporate brand as the concept that organizational members with brand psychological ownership identify themselves with strategic vision, belief, value, norm, and image of the corporate brand proposed by senior managers.