Rekindling the Fire and Stoking the Flames: How and When Workplace Interpersonal Capitalization Facilitates Pride and Knowledge Sharing at Work

Sharing positive events with others is a phenomenon referred to as “capitalization.” Extant theory on capitalization considers the process of disclosing positive events as socioemotional in nature. However, individuals capitalize in the context of workplace relationships that serve instrumental functions, pointing to the possibility that the process of capitalization may at times be instrumental as well. In this paper, we integrate theory on capitalization with the social-functionalist model of emotions to develop a model that explains how workplace interpersonal capitalization serves the instrumental function of spurring knowledge sharing. We identify pride as a linking mechanism between workplace interpersonal capitalization and knowledge sharing, and we argue that experiencing pride is contingent on employees disclosing positive events that they attribute to their own efforts. We also identify perceived coworker responsiveness as a boundary condition qualifying the association between pride and knowledge sharing. A source- and time-separated field study and an experience sampling field experiment with a daily intervention provide support for our hypothesized model. Overall, our work broadens the concept of capitalization and contributes to the social-functionalist model of emotions.