Training me softly. Metaverse-based immersive and gamified learning through a knowledge management perspective

Purpose The digital revolution, the growing demand for organizational agility, the holistic capabilities of human resources and the pandemic crisis are driving revolutionary changes within and outside organizational boundaries. This paper aims to explore the potential of the metaverse to advance organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the evolving digital landscape. Moreover, it investigates the potential and challenges related to the adoption of the metaverse for organizational learning and knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach Multiple case studies were carried out using a structured approach to collect data, including interviews, analysis of publicly available information and participant observation. Findings The findings shed light on the metaverse’s potential to enhance organizational learning and knowledge in the new digital era through immersive training, developing soft and hard skills and team-building activities. They also show the impact of knowledge management processes in organizations through gamified logic. Challenges for companies are also critically highlighted. Practical implications Implications are drawn for both scholars and managers in terms of experiential learning and knowledge management, stemming from the potential of the metaverse that, beyond “hard” skills, could act as a strategic mover for developing “soft” skills, such as relational and social ones. Originality/value In a period of growing hype about metaverse technology, literature has a gap regarding the potential and challenges for companies that adopt the metaverse from a knowledge-based perspective. Drawing from a case study, this paper explores the metaverse and its applications for enhancing organizational learning and knowledge management, highlighting the connection between the immersive learning approaches in the metaverse and the T-shaped knowledge.