Knowledge creation in the eco-system: Research imperatives

•We reveal an existing research gap in organizational knowledge creation theory.•We call for work on knowledge creation in physical spaces within the eco-system of organizations.•We develop five research imperatives on the localization of knowledge creation.•Research must be complemented with work on the role of spaces on the boundary of organizations.•Interactions between virtual and physical places in knowledge creation need to be investigated.

SummaryProponents of organizational knowledge creation theory have long recognized the importance of “spaces” for knowledge creation within organizations and, recently, in the eco-system to which the organization belongs. We argue that while knowledge creation in virtual spaces, such as online communities, is well theorized and researched, there is still limited understanding of how a physical space enables or constrains knowledge creation. This gap in the literature is particularly obvious in terms of knowledge creation beyond organizational boundaries, such as how knowledge flows informally in an eco-system of organizations in geographically proximate spaces. Based on a presentation of select relevant literature, we develop five research imperatives with the intention of reinvigorating the debate on physical space in organizational knowledge creation theory.