Why are researchers willing to share valuable knowledge resources? The critical role of occupational calling

Knowledge sharing is a prosocial and morally expected behavior in academia. Although occupational calling is a prosocial and ethical work orientation, there has been no research exploring the internal mechanisms linking occupational calling and knowledge sharing. Based on the conservation of resources theory (COR), this study examined why and how occupational calling is positively related to researchers’ knowledge sharing. Drawing on three-wave, four-month longitudinal survey data collected from 257 researchers in China, we tested the hypothesized model. The results demonstrated a positive correlation between occupational calling and knowledge sharing, with the relationship being mediated by workplace well-being. Proactive personality mitigated the indirect effect of occupational calling on knowledge sharing via workplace well-being. In the end, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.