Gamification has been hyped during the last years. There are studies predicting an enormous rise of the rate of companies gamifying their innovation process. Nevertheless, the majority of those projects are supposed to fail because the application might be designed poorly.
In this thesis, a comprehensive examination of theoretical background is delivered, the providers of gamification software are ascertained, case studies of some of their completed projects are analyzed, and interviews are conducted with implementing consultants.
The thesis concludes that gamifying an innovation platform for time-restricted innovation challenges can be a very powerful and successful management tool if implemented properly. Open-ended gamification approaches of innovation platforms usually fail to meet its business objectives in the long run because participation decreases over time.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Relevance and Problem Statement
1.2 Research Question
1.3 Sub-Questions
1.4 Overview
2 Theoretical Background
2.1 Innovation Management
2.1.1 Classification of innovation
2.1.2 The Innovation Funnel
2.1.3 Electronic Brainstorming
2.2 Understanding Human Motivation
2.2.1 Different Kinds of Motivation
2.2.2 Self-Determination Theory
2.2.3 Organizational Psychology Types
2.2.4 The Emergence and Possible Enhancement of Motivation
2.2.5 Categorization of Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation at the Workplace
2.3 Gamification
2.3.1 Towards a Definition
2.3.2 Origin
2.3.3 How Gamification Works
2.3.3.1 Player Types
2.3.3.2 Game Elements/Game Mechanics
2.3.3.3 Game Dynamics
2.3.4 Linking Innovation Management, Electronic Brainstorming, and Gamification
2.3.5 Gamification Design Process
2.3.6 Critique
3 Methodology
3.1 The “Building Theories from Case Study Research” Model
3.2 This Thesis’ Approach Based on Eisenhardt’s BTCM
4 Results
4.1 Within-Case Analysis
4.1.1 Open-ended Approach
4.1.2 Challenge-based Approach
4.2 Cross-Case Analysis
5 Conclusion
6 Limitations of this Thesis and Future Research
6.1 Limitations
6.2 Future Research and Outlook
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This thesis investigates the utility of implementing gamification within the internal innovation process of companies. It seeks to determine whether gamifying such processes effectively enhances employee motivation and engagement, thereby improving the efficiency of ideation and implementation. The work particularly examines the technical compatibility between gamification and innovation management, as well as identifying best practices for implementing gamified platforms.
- Theoretical analysis of human motivation (intrinsic vs. extrinsic) and its role in workplace performance.
- Examination of gamification design principles, including player types, game mechanics, and dynamics.
- Comparative analysis of "open-ended" vs. "challenge-based" gamification approaches in internal innovation.
- Qualitative case study analysis and expert interviews with practitioners in the gamification industry.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Relevance and Problem Statement
Gamification appeared in Gartner’s Hype Cycle of Emerging Technologies (Pettey & van der Meulen, 2012) as seen in Figure 1. According to that, Gamification is supposed to reach its Plateau of Productivity between 2017 and 2022. Associated with this forecast, Gartner’s predicts that “by 2015, 50% of organizations that manage innovation processes will gamify those processes” (Gartner, 2011). On the other hand, they also say that “by 2014, 80% of current gamified applications will fail to meet business objectives primarily due to poor design” (Gartner, 2012).
Obviously, there is a drive in the industry to tackle the “engagement issue”, especially in the innovation management, and gamification seems to be an attractive way (Gartner, 2011). Yet, the phenomenon is so recent and unexplored that superficial knowledge when implementing gamification in business processes might lead to a huge failure rate of addressing the management objectives (Gartner, 2012; Zichermann & Cunningham, 2011).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Introduces the critical issue of employee disengagement in corporate environments and presents the thesis’s objective to explore gamification as a solution for enhancing the internal innovation process.
2 Theoretical Background: Provides a comprehensive foundation covering innovation management, human motivation theories (including Self-Determination Theory), and gamification frameworks, linking them to business ideation and the Innovation Funnel.
3 Methodology: Details the research design based on Eisenhardt’s “Building Theories from Case Study Research” model, outlining the iterative steps taken for qualitative data collection and case study selection.
4 Results: Presents the qualitative analysis of within-case and cross-case findings, contrasting open-ended and challenge-based gamification approaches through practical industry examples.
5 Conclusion: Synthesizes the research findings, confirming that gamification is a useful tool for innovation management when implemented with appropriate design strategies and management support.
6 Limitations of this Thesis and Future Research: Discusses the inherent constraints of the qualitative approach and small sample size, while suggesting directions for future large-scale quantitative research.
Keywords
Gamification, Innovation Management, Employee Engagement, Internal Innovation, Self-Determination Theory, Electronic Brainstorming, Innovation Funnel, Game Mechanics, Game Dynamics, Qualitative Research, Case Study, Motivation, Enterprise Gamification, Business Objectives, Ideation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work investigates the application of gamification techniques within corporate innovation management to boost employee motivation, engagement, and the quality of generated ideas.
What are the central themes discussed in this thesis?
Key themes include human motivation theories, the design and implementation of gamification in business settings, the Innovation Funnel, and different player-type frameworks.
What is the core research question?
The central research question asks: Is the gamification of the internal innovation process useful for a company?
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The thesis uses a qualitative research methodology based on Eisenhardt’s “Building Theories from Case Study Research” model, incorporating multiple case studies and semi-structured expert interviews.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body integrates theoretical foundations with practical analysis, exploring how gamified elements like points, badges, and leaderboards are applied to solve the engagement gap in the ideation phase of innovation.
What are the defining keywords of the work?
Key terms include Gamification, Innovation Management, Employee Engagement, Self-Determination Theory, and the Innovation Funnel.
What is the main difference between "open-ended" and "challenge-based" gamification?
Open-ended approaches are ongoing and tend to have high initial participation that decreases over time, whereas challenge-based approaches are time-restricted events that help maintain engagement through recurring cycles of new promotion.
How does the work address the issue of employee privacy?
The study notes that works committees in large organizations often forbid transparent leaderboards; consequently, successful gamified platforms often use anonymized “gamer profiles” to protect individual employees.
What role does management play in successful gamification?
Management support is identified as critical; without a clear sponsor and internal promotion of the platform, initiatives are likely to lack long-term enthusiasm and fail to yield valuable innovation outcomes.
- Citation du texte
- Julius Schöning (Auteur), 2014, Gamification of the Internal Innovation Process, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/300582
