Building the engaging meta-workplace: serial mediation of embodied social interaction and virtual psychological support

Purpose This study aims to develop a conceptual framework explaining how metaverse technologies can enhance employee engagement in hybrid workplaces, integrating embodied social presence (ESP) theory, self-determination theory and the newly introduced construct of sociotechnical fluidity. Design/methodology/approach This study undertakes a structured synthesis of scholarly discourse to explore the intersection of employee engagement and the metaverse in hybrid workplace settings. Leveraging science mapping techniques and scholarly contribution profiling, the analysis identifies thematic clusters, conceptual linkages and emerging research priorities. These insights inform the development of a theory-driven engagement model integrating key constructs and relational pathways. Findings The framework positions embodied social interaction – comprising co-presence, social presence and sociotechnical fluidity – and virtual psychological support – autonomy and relatedness – as sequential mediators between metaverse platform capabilities and employee engagement. Media literacy and organizational support act as moderators. Findings highlight that, in hybrid work contexts, users value effortless navigation, spontaneous collaboration and ambient sociability over purely immersive realism, reflecting the entanglement of social and technical elements. Practical implications These findings offer actionable insights for business leaders and IT decision-makers to develop HR and IT policies that ensure metaverse implementations foster ease of interaction, psychological support and sustained engagement in distributed teams. Originality/value By extending ESP theory with sociotechnical fluidity, this research advances understanding of dynamic, coordinated interactions in metaverse-enabled collaboration. The integration of scholarly synthesis with science mapping offers a novel, multilayered engagement model that provides a foundation for empirical validation and informs strategic adoption of metaverse technologies in hybrid workplace designs.