The Influence of Sustainability on Psychological Ownership in Services Based on Temporary Access

Abstract

The search for solutions that address the issues related to sustainability and overconsumption seeks to create social and ecological value while also creating economic value for companies. The sharing economy has emerged as a viable solution. Nonetheless, it also has side effects that need to be addressed, namely, the loss of perceived ownership. This study seeks to respond to the question, “What is the role of sustainability in the relationship between psychological ownership and its antecedents?” By addressing it, the outcome of our research expands the literature on psychological ownership by employing variables related to sustainability (self-perception as a sustainable consumer, community, and personal connection to the sustainable positioning of the company) as moderators between psychological ownership and its precedent variables. Our paper contributes to knowledge of access-based services and consumer goods that have, until this moment, been limitedly investigated. Drawing upon prior research results about psychological ownership and variables related to sustainability, we employed a scenario-based self-report and evaluated the variables’ moderating effect on psychological ownership. We used SEM and smartPLS software. Our findings demonstrate the moderating effect of the (1) degree of intermediation of the platform, especially in the (2) low-intermediation scenario, and the (3) communal connection stemming from the sustainable position of the company. This paper contributes to the literature regarding intermediation and company positioning as variables with potential use in studies of psychological ownership, services, and, mainly, sustainability. Additionally, presents managers and marketeers the means to prevent the loss of perceived ownership while providing ways to leverage the sharing economy.