Work engagement: the role of psychological ownership and self-regulatory focus behavior
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance
ISSN: 2051-6614
Article publication date: 9 September 2022
Issue publication date: 6 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the self-extended and regulatory focus theories, the present study examined the mechanism as well as the boundary condition under which psychological ownership might relate positively to the work engagement of employees working in public sector organizations in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from employees (n = 313) working in public sector organizations in Ghana at a single point in time with a survey questionnaire.
Findings
The results indicated that psychological ownership and self-regulatory focus behaviors (i.e. prevention and promotion focus behaviors) were beneficial for work engagement; and that while prevention focus mediated psychological ownership-work engagement relationship, that relationship was positive and stronger for employees who performed less promotion focus behaviors.
Practical implications
Managers in public sector organizations should understand that employees with strong psychological ownership would feel more engaged if they perform less promotion focus behaviors.
Originality/value
The authors’ study contributes uniquely to the nascent work engagement literature in the Ghanaian context, and by testing boundary conditions and underlying mechanisms increased the authors’ understanding of work engagement among public sector employees in Ghana.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to BANGA-Africa for the opportunity to learn how to write research manuscript in the BANGA, as this enabled them to improve upon some aspects of the manuscript.
Citation
Delle, E., Kumasey, A.S., Agyabeng, A.N., Alfa, A.A. and Hossain, F. (2023), "Work engagement: the role of psychological ownership and self-regulatory focus behavior", Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 77-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-12-2021-0344
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited