Territoriality in Organizations

Abstract

Territorial feelings and behaviors are important, pervasive, and yet largely overlooked aspects of organizational life. Organizational members can and do become territorial over physical spaces, ideas, roles, relationships, and other potential possessions in organizations. We examine how territorial behaviors are used to construct, communicate, maintain, and restore territories in organizations. We then go on to discuss the organizational consequences of these behaviors, including their effects on organizational commitment, conflict, preoccupation, and individual isolation.

Psychological ownership: theoretical extensions, measurement and relation to work outcomes

“…Such targets of ownership can become so deeply rooted within people's self-identity that they can become viewed as an extension of the self (Belk, 1988;Dittmar, 1992;Cram & Paton, 1993). Indeed, Brown et al (Brown, Lawrence, & Robinson, 2005) argue that ownership and self-identity are so interrelated that people engage in territorial behaviors, such as marking or defending their territory as a way to identify and defend possessions as an extension of themselves.…”

“…In developing a theoretical foundation of territoriality, Brown et al (2005) explicitly focused on the concept of territoriality as being behavioral and propose (2005, p. 580) that ''the stronger an individual's psychological ownership of an object, the greater the likelihood he or she will engage in territorial behaviors.'' However, in light of Pierce et al's (2001) argument that psychological ownership is a cognitive-affective construct, this study leans heavily on cognitive aspects (versus behavioral displays) of territoriality as a more preventative form of psychological ownership.…”

“…Therefore, it should be noted again that prior research has indicated there may be a ''dark side'' to psychological ownership. For example, research has acknowledged the negative side to a degree with the concept of preventative ownership, where individuals become so territorial and even aggressive about target's of ownership that organizational change becomes very difficult to implement (e.g., Brown et al, 2005;Pierce et al, 2003). Future research should also examine the role of such preventative ownership.…”

Governance of Co-operative Organizations: A Social Exchange Perspective

“…In other words, as governance is shaped and improved by an inherited framework of collectively held values, norms, and rules, it is important the co-operative exchange partners share a territorial context (Lang & Roessl, 2011). This makes sense, as work on territoriality of organization (Brown, Lawrence, & Robinson, 2005) suggests that physical proximity clarifies and simplifies social exchange (e.g., the rules of exchange are unified) and diminishes conflicts of interests (cf. Rosenblatt & Budd, 1975;Altman & Haythorn, 1967).…”

Michel Foucault and the Administering of Lives

“…While organization scholars have paid great attention to inter-organizational relations, less attention has been paid to the instruments that help link actors and aspirations, the devices that facilitate the transfer of information across domains and among formally separate legal entities. Likewise, we suggest that scholars of organizations could pay more attention to the multiple forms of territorializing (Brown, Lawrence, & Robinson, 2005;Elden, 2007;Mennicken & Miller, 2012;Miller & Power, 2013). As Elden (2007) has remarked, territory is more than merely land, and territorializing is not confined to states and statehood.…”