How do virtual community members develop psychological ownership and what are the effects of psychological ownership in virtual communities?

•We investigate the routes of psychological ownership in virtual community.•We investigate the consequences of psychological ownership in virtual community.•Autonomy and self-discrepancy increase psychological ownership of a virtual community.•Psychological ownership increases satisfaction, self-esteem, and quality of contributions.

Literature highlights the importance of psychological ownership on individuals’ behaviors and attitudes in organizations. Over the years, researchers have developed and extended the theory of psychological ownership; however, despite the emphasis placed on this concept, it has not been tested in online contexts, such as virtual communities. In this study, we show how virtual community members develop psychological ownership of their community and discuss the consequences of such ownership. Drawing on the theory of psychological ownership, we develop a research model that explains three routes of psychological ownership: autonomy, membership duration, and self-discrepancy. We also determine three consequences of psychological ownership: satisfaction, self-concept, and knowledge contribution. In this study, we found that maintaining autonomy and creating a better self in the anonymous environment of a virtual community assists in developing psychological ownership of a virtual community. We also determined that psychological ownership increases satisfaction, self-esteem, and contribution quality. This study will help to support and extend the theory of psychological ownership while providing practical insights for community managers by suggesting ways to vitalize virtual communities.