Level Up Your Strategy: Towards a Descriptive Framework for Meaningful Enterprise Gamification

📝 Abstract

Gamification initiatives are currently top-of-mind for many organizations seeking to engage their employees in creative ways, improve their productivity, and drive positive behavioural outcomes in their workforce - ultimately leading to positive business outcomes on the whole. Despite its touted benefits, little empirical research has been done to date to investigate technological and individual personal factors that determine the success or failure of enterprise gamification initiatives. In this article, we provide a summary of our preliminary research findings from three case studies of gamification initiatives across different business contexts and present an empirically validated descriptive framework that details the key success factors for enterprise gamification. Our adaptation of the mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics (MDA) framework for enterprise gamification aims to explicate the connections between end-user motivations, interactive gameplay elements, and technology features and functions that constitute effective gamification interventions in the enterprise. Following a discussion of the core elements in the framework and their interrelationships, the implications of our research are presented in the form of guidelines for the management and design of gamification initiatives and applications. The research findings presented in this article can potentially aid in the development of game mechanics that translate into positive user experiences and foster higher levels of employee engagement. Additionally, our research findings provide insights on key success factors for the effective adoption and institutionalization of enterprise gamification initiatives in organizations, and subsequently help them enhance the performance of their employees and drive positive business outcomes.

💡 Analysis

Gamification initiatives are currently top-of-mind for many organizations seeking to engage their employees in creative ways, improve their productivity, and drive positive behavioural outcomes in their workforce - ultimately leading to positive business outcomes on the whole. Despite its touted benefits, little empirical research has been done to date to investigate technological and individual personal factors that determine the success or failure of enterprise gamification initiatives. In this article, we provide a summary of our preliminary research findings from three case studies of gamification initiatives across different business contexts and present an empirically validated descriptive framework that details the key success factors for enterprise gamification. Our adaptation of the mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics (MDA) framework for enterprise gamification aims to explicate the connections between end-user motivations, interactive gameplay elements, and technology features and functions that constitute effective gamification interventions in the enterprise. Following a discussion of the core elements in the framework and their interrelationships, the implications of our research are presented in the form of guidelines for the management and design of gamification initiatives and applications. The research findings presented in this article can potentially aid in the development of game mechanics that translate into positive user experiences and foster higher levels of employee engagement. Additionally, our research findings provide insights on key success factors for the effective adoption and institutionalization of enterprise gamification initiatives in organizations, and subsequently help them enhance the performance of their employees and drive positive business outcomes.

📄 Content

Technology Innovation Management Review August 2015 (Volume 5, Issue 8) 5 www.timreview.ca Level Up Your Strategy: Towards a Descriptive Framework for Meaningful Enterprise Gamification Umar Ruhi Gamification initiatives are currently top-of-mind for many organizations seeking to en- gage their employees in creative ways, improve their productivity, and drive positive beha- vioural outcomes in their workforce – ultimately leading to positive business outcomes on the whole. Despite its touted benefits, little empirical research has been done to date to in- vestigate technological and individual personal factors that determine the success or failure of enterprise gamification initiatives. In this article, we provide a summary of our prelimin- ary research findings from three case studies of gamification initiatives across different business contexts and present an empirically validated descriptive framework that details the key success factors for enterprise gamification. Our adaptation of the mechanics, dy- namics, and aesthetics (MDA) framework for enterprise gamification aims to explicate the connections between end-user motivations, interactive gameplay elements, and techno- logy features and functions that constitute effective gamification interventions in the enter- prise. Following a discussion of the core elements in the framework and their interrelationships, the implications of our research are presented in the form of guidelines for the management and design of gamification initiatives and applications. The research findings presented in this article can potentially aid in the development of game mechanics that translate into positive user experiences and foster higher levels of employee engage- ment. Additionally, our research findings provide insights on key success factors for the ef- fective adoption and institutionalization of enterprise gamification initiatives in organizations, and subsequently help them enhance the performance of their employees and drive positive business outcomes. Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful. Dieter Rams Industrial Designer “ ” Introduction As a relatively new breed of technology-based interven- tion, gamification refers to the process of utilizing a di- gital platform to incorporate game-like elements in non-game contexts with the aim to positively influence user motivation and to improve user engagement in de- sired behaviours. In an enterprise setting, gamification techniques may be applied to engage employees in helping an organization realize business process im- provements, service efficiencies, talent development, innovative research ideas, and constructive collabora- tion practices. Although the hype surrounding enterprise gamification has not yet receded, some early adopters have reported failures with gamification initiatives (Burke, 2014). Their experience has afforded more credence to those who question the potential of gamification – whether it constitutes a trivialization of work and whether it is a frivolous diversion. To counter these negative accounts, analysts and ex- perts have directed attention to the myriad of success stories that demonstrate the benefits of gamification to organizations in various sectors including airlines, healthcare, financial services, consumer products, and Technology Innovation Management Review August 2015 (Volume 5, Issue 8) 6 www.timreview.ca Towards a Descriptive Framework for Meaningful Enterprise Gamification Umar Ruhi education (Buggie, 2014; Palmer et al., 2012; Wang, 2011). Consequently, these experts have expounded that organizations and their leaders need to avoid jumping on the gamification bandwagon and not use it in a knee-jerk fashion to coerce behaviour and out- comes. Rather, organizations and leaders are urged to understand the business case for gamification, appreci- ate the opportunities and limitations associated with it, and approach the implementation of technologies with- in the firm’s specific organizational and individual con- text. Attention has been drawn to factors – such as business objectives, employee motivations, and user ex- perience – that constitute key determinants in the ef- fective adoption of enterprise gamification programs. However, owing to the novel nature of gamification and its emergent corporate use cases, there is a general dearth of academic and industry literature explaining these issues (Deterding et al., 2013; Hamari et al., 2014). In this article, we address this research gap by reporting some emergent findings from our ongoing research on enterprise gamification. We investigated gamification initiatives at three case study organizations from differ- ent industries, and conducted interviews with strategy and design teams, evaluated the implementation of gamification applications, and surveyed end users from the organizations. Figure 1 summ

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