Purpose: Knowledge sharing is pivotal for the professional development among academics in higher education. However, little research has focused on understanding both the positive and negative facets of organizational climate in relation to knowledge sharing among academics. Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to examine the impact of four facets of organizational climate, i.e. affiliation, trust, competition and individualism, on academics' subjective norms and intentions regarding knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 532 university faculty staff in China and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings: Results indicated that affiliation and trust had positive effects on subjective norms regarding knowledge sharing, whereas competition and individualism had negative effects on subjective norms. Furthermore, subjective norms were found to significantly enhance academics' intentions to share knowledge. Practical implications: Practical implications are provided on how to cultivate a supportive organizational climate to foster knowledge sharing among faculty staff for enhanced professional capital and competitiveness. Originality/value: The study contributes to the literature by integrating both the positive and negative facets of organizational climate and highlighting the hindering effects of competition and individualism on knowledge sharing, which have not been fully investigated in the existing literature.