Developing knowledge in digital workplaces: a sociomaterial-SECI integrative framework

Purpose The metaverse is transforming the way knowledge is created, shared and used in digital workplaces, yet existing research offers fragmented and unintegrated account of these developments. This study aims to address this gap by systematically identifying sociomateriality-related themes in the scholarly literature on metaverse-enabled workplaces and mapping them to SECI knowledge creation processes to conceptualize organizational knowledge building in immersive environments. Design/methodology/approach Using structural topic modeling (STM), the study analyzed a corpus of peer-reviewed research articles on the metaverse and digital workplaces, revealing 25 hidden themes. Through cluster analysis, these 25 themes were grouped into five sociomateriality-aligned clusters, which subsequently mapped with the SECI (socialization, externalization, combination, internalization) to develop an integrated conceptual framework. Findings The findings suggest that digital workplaces in the metaverse foster immersive, embodied and collaborative activities, complemented by digital materiality. According to the SECI model, each of the five sociomaterial clusters – performativity, material agency, entanglement, relationality and the practice-based – yielded a distinct approach to knowledge creation through socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization. This demonstrates a relationship between employees’ actions and the capabilities of technology across multiple dimensions. Originality/value Through the unique integration of STM, sociomateriality theory and SECI knowledge creation processes, the study presents a holistic framework on knowledge creation and synthesis in metaverse-enabled digital workplaces. The study’s findings have implications for future workplaces, suggesting the design, management and theorization of digital workplaces.