Beyond storage: a TCV-SECI framework for digital photo hoarding and knowledge transformation

Purpose Why people keep digital content – especially digital photos – is a question that interests academics and industry professionals. This study aims to deepen the authors’ understanding of the consumption values – particularly concerning digital photos – that motivate people to hoard digital content and help them create knowledge. Design/methodology/approach Using the Gioia approach, this study adopted a qualitative research strategy to examine the themes that emerged from the participant replies. Grounded theory methodology was used to place this research within the context of users’ genuine experiences. Findings The themes arising from the participants’ opinions aligned with the theory of consumption values, which assisted in identifying the consumption values that promote digital photo hoarding, leading to knowledge creation, sharing and transformation rooted in knowledge creation theory (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization). Originality/value Unlike prior studies that focus on digital clutter as a problem, this research repositions it as a potential enabler of structured knowledge generation. Through this study, the digital world’s stakeholders gain a deeper understanding of the various consumption values that influence people’s behavior of digital hoarding, especially with knowledge creation as the outcome. This understanding helps organizations create strategies to understand their customers better and, as a result, helps them strategize updating their websites and displays. In addition, it can promote education on responsible digital hoarding practices.