THE MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL OWNERSHIP ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT

Year 2012, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 171 - 185, 01.12.2012

Turhan Erkmen Emel Esen

Abstract

Psychological ownership reflects an individual’s awareness, thoughts, and beliefs
regarding the target of ownership (Avey et al, 2009). Locus of control defined as
the general belief that individual’s successes, failures and outcomes are controlled
by individual’s actions and behaviors (internal); or perhaps, people’s
achievements, failures and outcomes are controlled by other forces like chance,
luck and fate (external) (Rotter, 1966). Individuals with high internal locus of
control experience higher levels of psychological ownership. Organizational
commitment can be defined as a strong belief in and acceptance of an
organization’s goals and values, a willingness to exert considerable effort on
behalf of the organization, and a strong desire to maintain membership in the
organization (Allen and Meyer, 1990). Scholars examined the link between
psychological ownership of the organization and positive employee attitudes as
organizational commitment.
The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of psychological
ownership on the relationship between internal locus of control and organizational
commitment. Allen and Meyer’s (1990) organizational commitment scale,
Rotter’s (1966) locus of control scale and Avey and his colleagues’ (2009)
psychological ownership scale were used to collect data for the study. The
findings of this study is valuable from many aspects that psychological ownership
is a new area in organizational behavior literature and this study indicates
antecedent’s and consequence’s of psychological ownership in information
technology sector.

Keywords

Psychological ownership, Internal locus of control, Organizational commitment, Information technology sector

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