PurposeSince the term's introduction two decades ago, “psychological capital” has been described as an intangible strategic organizational resource. However, there remains a dearth of research regarding its application, especially in the macro-management fields. This paper addresses this gap by elevating the individual-level psychological capital (ILPC) concept to an equivalent organizational-level psychological capital (OLPC) model with appropriate methodological considerations.Design/methodology/approachThe elevation of ILPC to OLPC is conducted using referent shift approach. Then, the proposed OLPC model is tested and validated using the partial least-squares structural equation modeling analysis technique.FindingsTesting the OLPC model adequately validated the basic requirements of reliability, validity, multicollinearity and redundancy analysis. To ensure the practical use of the proposed model, a simulation study was also conducted, and the results confirmed the strength of ILPC being elevated to a model of OLPC.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings imply a better understanding of psychological capital from a multilevel perspective and present cross-level opportunities to enrich the scholarly corpus. The current paper also provides an insight into psychological capital management efficiency at all organizational levels so that the greatest benefits can be obtained.Originality/valueThis paper shows, for the first time, the possibility of borrowing ILPC concepts to help enact OLPC in organizations by means of a survey study. This paves the way for further investigation into the use of psychological capital at strategic and other macromanagement levels. Finally, future studies are encouraged to triangulate and strengthen the main arguments presented here.