The Impact of Gamification on Employee Engagement in a Complex System of Human Resource Management Processes

Elektroniskā versija nesatur pielikumusPromocijas darba mērķis ir izpētīt spēļošanu kā rīku, ko izmanto personālvadības procesu kompleksā sistēmā, un tās potenciālu ietekmēt augstāku darbinieku iesaisti šajos procesos, kā arī izstrādāt rekomendācijas spēļotu un iesaisti veicinošu personālvadības procesu dizainam. Pētījums piedāvā hipotēzi, ka, ņemot vērā spēļu vides augsti iesaistošo raksturu, darbinieku iesaiste dažādos personālvadības procesos tiek pozitīvi ietekmēta, izmantojot spēļu elementus, kas veicina izmērāmu šo procesu rādītāju paaugstināšanos. Darba zinātniskā novitāte izpaužas spēļošanas definīcijā ar fokusu uz personālvadības procesiem, kā arī pienesumā vadībzinātņu teorijas attīstībai: izstrādāts 10-soļu modelis iesaisti veicinošai personālvadības procesu spēļošanai. Darba ietvaros izstrādātā metodoloģija spēļošanas ietekmes izpētei uz darbinieku iesaisti var tikt izmantota gan viena uzņēmuma vai uzņēmumu grupas ietvaros, gan pārrobežu pētījumiemThe aim of this study is to explore gamification as a tool used within a complex system of human resource management processes and its potential to achieve higher employee engagement with these processes, as well as to develop recommendations for gamified and engagement-positive design of the said processes. Hypothesis defended throughout the thesis argues that given highly engaging character of the game environment employee engagement with various human resource management processes can be positively influenced through the application of game elements, thus promoting improvement of the process indicators. Scientific novelty of the doctoral thesis lies in developed gamification definition with a focus on human resource management processes, as well as in contribution to the management theory development: thesis offers 10-steps model for the engagement positive gamification of human resource management processes. Methodology for research of the impact of gamification on employee engagement can be used within any business enterprise or group of enterprises, as well as for the crossborder research

Desbloquear a forma como as empresas estão aplicando gamificação ao longo do ciclo de vida inovação

This thesis complements an emergent body of literature on gamification of innovation by exploring how gamification, i.e. the use of game elements in non-gaming contexts, can support the management of the complex, messy and unclear Early Stage of Innovation Process (ESoIP), and therefore help firms to drive innovation forward. Thus, the goal of this thesis is threefold: Firstly to conceptualize gamification approaches to the early stage of innovation; secondly to examine by empirical research studies how the ESoIP can be supported by gamification approaches and thirdly to explore the way gamification approaches support and enhance design thinking. In fact, this thesis argues that gamification can contribute to improving the management of firms’ ESoIP by complementing design thinking practices. Since the potential value of design thinking is sometimes overhyped among academics and practitioners it is fundamental to acknowledge its main obstacles and discuss better ways to overcome the difficulties of managing the ESoIP, such the unpredictable and unstructured nature of activities and the need for more coordination and alignment of teams. Given the explorative type of goals and the need to achieve a deeper understanding of the linkages between gamification and the ESoIP, the thesis follows a qualitative research approach. Findings show that gamification approaches encourage the involvement and engagement of teams in the innovation process, improving aspects like team spirit, dialogue and consensus building, creative experience sharing, goals setting, coordination of activities and concept development as well as the overall management of the ESoIP. Finally, it also suggests that gamification complements and enhances design thinking practices by making people more engaged and delivering a more structured approach to the ESoIP.Esta tese complementa uma linha de investigação emergente na área da gamificação da inovação, explorando como é que a gamificação (utilização de elementos de jogos em contextos não lúdicos) pode apoiar a gestão da fase inicial do processo de inovação, que é mais complexa, confusa e obscura e desta forma ajudar as empresas a inovar. Os principais objetivos desta tese são em primeiro lugar conceptualizar a utilização da gamificação na fase inicial do processo de inovação, em segundo lugar investigar através de estudos empíricos como é que o processo de inovação pode ser melhorado através desta abordagem e em terceiro lugar explorar de que forma é que a gamificação pode apoiar e melhorar o design thinking. Isto porque esta tese defende que a gamificação pode contribuir para melhorar a gestão da fase inicial do processo de inovação, complementando as práticas de design thinking. Como o valor potencial do design thinking está por vezes sobreavaliado entre académicos e gestores, é fundamental reconhecer os seus principais obstáculos e discutir melhor as maneiras de ultrapassar as dificuldades de gestão da inovação, tais como a natureza das atividades pouco estruturadas e não previstas e a necessidade de maior coordenação e alinhamento das equipas. Dado o caráter exploratório dos objetivos e a necessidade de se chegar a um melhor conhecimento das ligações entre a gamificação e a fase inicial do processo de inovação, esta tese segue uma abordagem qualitativa. Os resultados mostram que a gamificação promove o envolvimento das equipas no processo de inovação, melhorando aspetos como o espírito de equipa, diálogo e consenso, partilha de experiência de forma mais criativa, definição de objetivos, coordenação de atividades, desenvolvimento de conceitos e, de uma forma geral, toda a gestão da fase inicial deste processo. Finalmente, esta tese também sugere que a gamificação complementa e melhora as práticas de design thinking aumentando o envolvimento das pessoas e proporcionando uma abordagem mais estruturada do processo de inovação.Programa Doutoral em Marketing e Estratégi

Gamification at Workplace: Theories, constructs and conceptual frameworks

Gamification has been an active area of interest for both academicians and practitioners for the last decade. Gamification has extended its application to many areas, including the workplace. This study aims to shed light on the theoretical scenario of the gamification literature at the workplace. The article reviews the recent literature on gamification in this context and analyses the theories, constructs, and frameworks used to study the phenomenon. There is a lack of focus on the theoretical framework in the existing reviews. We create a broad taxonomy of theories used in the literature of gamification of the workplace. Further, we also propose a causal-chain framework to explain how gamification influences employees in the workplace. The results indicate that gamification at the workplace is still in its nascent stage and requires more rigorous and in-depth research. We believe that the insights generated provide research avenues for future research studies

Relation of workplace well-being and the engagement of the workers of the company Energostal

Тема представленной магистерской диссертации посвящена весьма актуальной проблеме управления человеческими ресурсами современных организаций, которая касается путей достижения благополучия работников на рабочем месте и его влияния на вовлеченность персонала. В теоретической части дается определение благополучия на рабочем месте, вовлеченности и их важности. В практической части описываются общие характеристики исследуемой компании, проводится анализ сотрудников по ее результатам. На основании этих результатов было разработаны предложения по содействию благополучию каждого работника и усилению их вовлеченности в деятельность компании "Энергосталь".Topic of presented master’s thesis is devoted to the very actual problem in Human Resources management of the modern organizations which concerns of ways how to reach wellbeing of workers on the work place and how it influence on the engagement of staff. In the theoretical part it presents the definition of workplace well-being, engagement and the importance of them. The practical part describes the general characteristics of the investigated company, the analysis of employees by its results. Based on these results, there was developed a proposal of promote the well-being of every worker and arise their engagement with the company Energostal

Examining The Implications Of Tabletop Roleplaying Games For Use In Leadership Development: An Integrative Review

Role-playing games are frequently used within the social sciences to study several aspects of the human experience and development. Existing research suggests that role-playing games encourage the development of critical and strategic decision-making, teamwork, and creative thinking, all behaviors integral to the development of lasting leadership competencies. This integrative review theorizes using TRPG roleplay games as unconventional tools for skill development and examines the implications for leadership applications. This inductive approach revealed a comprehensive picture of the importance of TRPGs integration into leadership development programs. It is at the intersection between creativity and leadership where organizational leaders have the potential to develop creativity training interventions to enhance and increase leaders’ creative potential and emotional creativity. Keywords: Dungeons and Dragons, leadership development, change management, TRPGs, creativity

Dynamic Personalization of Gameful Interactive Systems

Gameful design, the process of creating a system with affordances for gameful experiences, can be used to increase user engagement and enjoyment of digital interactive systems. It can also be used to create applications for behaviour change in areas such as health, wellness, education, customer loyalty, and employee management. However, existing research suggests that the qualities of users, such as their personality traits, preferences, or identification with a task, can influence gamification outcomes. It is important to understand how to personalize gameful systems, given how user qualities shape the gameful experience. Current evidence suggests that personalized gameful systems can lead to increased user engagement and be more effective in helping users achieve their goals than generic ones. However, to create these kinds of systems, designers need a specific method to guide them in personalizing the gameful experience to their target audience. To address this need, this thesis proposes a novel method for personalized gameful design divided into three steps: (1) classification of user preferences, (2) classification and selection of gameful design elements, and (3) heuristic evaluation of the design. Regarding the classification of user preferences, this thesis evaluates and validates the Hexad Gamification User Types Scale, which scores a person in six user types: philanthropist, socialiser, free spirit, achiever, player, and disruptor. Results show that the scale’s structural validity is acceptable for gamification studies through reliability analysis and factor analysis. For classification and selection of gameful design elements, this thesis presents a conceptual framework based on participants’ self-reported preferences, which classifies elements in eight groups organized into three categories: individual motivations (immersion and progression), external motivations (risk/reward, customization, and incentives), and social motivations (socialization, altruism, and assistance). And to evaluate the design of gameful applications, this thesis introduces a set of 28 gameful design heuristics, which are based on motivational theories and gameful design methods and enable user experience professionals to conduct a heuristic evaluation of a gameful application. Furthermore, this thesis describes the design, implementation, and pilot evaluation of a software platform for the study of personalized gameful design. It integrates nine gameful design elements built around a main instrumental task, enabling researchers to observe and study the gameful experience of participants. The platform is flexible so the instrumental task can be changed, game elements can be added or removed, and the level and type of personalization or customization can be controlled. This allows researchers to generate different experimental conditions to study a broad range of research questions. Our personalized gameful design method provides practical tools and clear guidelines to help designers effectively build personalized gameful systems

The influences of gamification on user experience in the healthcare sector

Abstract. Gamification is a considerably emerging trend focusing on the application of game mechanics to a nongame context. The objective of gamification implication in serious settings is to form the positive outcomes from the patients. While education and business have been taken advantages of gamification, the digital health domain just started the journey with this prevailing trend. That is why, there is an increasing demand for scientific research on the gamification in healthcare, especially the user experience under the gamified healthcare solution from the company perspective. With this inspiration, the study is conducted aiming at exploring the user experience under the impact of gamification in the healthcare context. Study indicates that it is the affordances, which are also known as game elements that stimulate various psychological and behavioural experience for the users. The combination of the achievement-oriented, social-oriented and immersion-oriented affordances in the gamified healthcare solution triggers the various psychological and behavioural experience. These experiences are examined under three perspectives which are stimulation, interaction and sense-making. Through the stimulation lens, the psychological experiences are favourably formed and dominant the behavioural experience. While, the interaction lens indicates the dominance of the behavioural experience, especially the performance-related outcomes. The sense-making view shows the actor-related behavioural experience outweighs of the other outcomes. The exploratory qualitative research and the semi-structured interviews are utilised to investigate the game affordances in the gamified solutions and the user experience from the gamified solution providers angles. The study expectedly contributes to the literature’ body of gamification by confirming the conceptualisation of the gamification and the formation of the user experience. The empirical implications are for the gamified healthcare solution design regarding the affordance combination and the utilisation of the insights from both patients and game players

Gamification in knowledge management: How to score intrinsically in the game of motivation

Gamification is an increasingly common motivational tool, and knowledge management is rising to become an important part of strategies in knowledge intensive organizations. The academic infancy of gamification and the relatively young field of knowledge management provide ample opportunities for novel research. This thesis attempts to understand what needs to be considered when designing a practical application of gamification to increase motivation for knowledge management in a knowledge-intense organization. Abductive action research was carried out at Ericsson AB to answer the question, where the researchers where embedded in a knowledge management transformation team. Empirics primarily gathered from interviews, together with a theoretical framework was used to synthesize a set of guidelines. These guidelines served to help with the development of a gamified application for knowledge management. Finally, a plausible concept of an application based on the guidelines and theory is presented, together with recommendations of how to proceed with the development of the concept