SECI model of knowledge management: A thematic analysis with emphasis on agricultural organizations

Objective. This research aimed to identify the thematic trends in knowledge management through Nonaka and Tekeuchi's socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization (SECI) model. First, an analysis of the application of the model in general and then in the field of agriculture was conducted. Design/Methodology/Approach. A bibliometric analysis was performed, and 2201 indexed papers from the Scopus database between the years 1994 and 2024 were considered. The study used the authors' keywords to identify thematic trends through word co-occurrences. Results/Discussion. Thematic cores related to innovation and open innovation were identified. This model has experienced a notable boom in recent years. In the agricultural sector, knowledge creation and transfer represent a part of the model that has experienced increasing use. The importance of understanding and effectively using the model to drive innovation and sustainable development in agriculture was stressed. Therefore, it was proposed that knowledge be transformed into a source of knowledge. Conclusions. Despite the criticisms received, this paper highlights the lack of research on using the SECI model in agriculture and its relevance in advancing knowledge management research. Furthermore, the results point out that, for the agricultural sector, future research on knowledge management should focus on organizational learning mechanisms, social innovation, critical success factors, business processes, and job satisfaction. ©The authors ©Iberoamerican Journal of Science Measurement and Communication ©Pro-Metrics.