The moderating role of perceived compassion in the relationship between psychological ownership and rumination: A study on employees affected by the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes

Traumatic events, such as earthquakes, may heighten employees' ruminative tendencies, which can negatively impact their psychological well-being and organisational performance. This study aims to investigate the moderating role of compassion perception in the relationship between psychological ownership and rumination, and to determine whether these variables differ across various demographic characteristics. This explanatory and cross-sectional study was conducted with 382 participants, comprising public and private sector employees residing in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Adana, and Osmaniye, which were affected by the earthquake that occurred in Turkey on February 6, 2023. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using validated scales that measured psychological ownership, rumination, and compassion perception. Results revealed that compassion significantly moderated the negative relationship between psychological ownership and rumination. Furthermore, significant differences were observed in all three variables across demographic factors, including gender, age, marital status, institution type, and income level. These findings underscore the importance of cultivating compassion and ownership perceptions in post-disaster workplaces to promote psychological resilience and mitigate maladaptive thought patterns. The study contributes to disaster psychology literature and offers implications for developing employee-centred recovery strategies and support programs in organisational settings.