Case 12 Gamification | Finding Legitimacy in the New Corporate Culture Would you be surprised to see a co-worker playing a video game, and realizing the boss didn't care? Companies are increasingly using video games or "gamification" as a way to enhance productivity and increase creativity and satisfaction in the workplace.

It is more common today to see people playing games at work and being praisednot criticizedfor doing it. The new legitimacy of gaming in the corporate world is called "gamification." Games are being used to promote a culture of learning, individualism, and fun, while also focusing attention on the company's bottom-line performance goals.

Enjoyment-Based Economy Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games, says: "We are shifting into an enjoyment-based economy. And who knows more about making enjoyment than game developers?" Gamification is exploding in areas ranging from marketing and politics, to health and fitness, to business and higher education, with analysts predicting that gamification will soon be a multi-billion-dollar industry. The commercial contexts within which gamification continues to grow range from customer engagement, to employee performance to training, to innovation management, to personal development, to sustainability.

Top Firms Are Playing Games High-profile firms have now jumped on the gamification bandwagon. Many are beginning to use social media-linked games and simulations for recruiting and training. Games are being used to help make a connection with applicants, and to help predict how successful they'll be on the job.

The mega-consumer products company Unilever has developed an entirely digital, user-friendly recruiting process (X). Applicants complete a short form connected to their LinkedIn profile, and from there, spend 20 minutes playing a series of games that provide insight into applicants' personality, communication style, and problem-solving skills. Game results are then used to determine which applicants move to the next phase in the process. Gamification has allowed Unilever to streamline the recruitment process, to efficiently evaluate a much larger number of applicants, and ultimately to make the best selection decisions.

Marriott also uses social media applications to connect employees (and potential employees) through gamification. Marriott uses a Facebook-based game that provides potential employees insight into available career paths in the hospitality industry. The game is also used for training current employees. Siemens has also developed engaging gamification tools for employee training that are designed to help employees better understand their role with the company.

Games serve a growing number of multiple uses. At Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational institution founded by Harvard graduate Salman Khan, which reaches approximately 10 million students each month, gamification is a core method for enhancing students' learning experience. An IBM executive says the firm's use of gaming for employees who spend lots of time working from home or travelling is a "way to help colleagues connect and stay engaged." Software Company SAP uses a game that includes "assigning sales leads and environmental challenges that award points for tasks like carpooling," says its chief innovation strategist, Mario Herger.

Games Change Cultures Gaming interfaces are also changing traditional workplace rules and behavioural norms, or at least realigning them with popular culture. Users believe that gaming helps employees feel more engaged and connected in an online environment that they can enjoy independently from work activities. Gaming can be used in strategic planning to simulate various business scenarios. Reward and competition tactics in games can be applied to boost interest in mundane tasks like data entry and invoicing.

Although some fear that gaming has the potential to breed unhealthy competition and hurt relationships, experts claim it's a great motivator that can increase employees' enthusiasm for their daily activities and the energy they bring to work. Game-specific problem solving can also enhance critical thinking and analytical abilities, as well as develop desirable personal attributes such as persistence, creativity, and resilience.

But, it's also It's recognized that gamification has to be well integrated with business needs and objectives. Industry analyst Brian Burke cautions: "To achieve success for companies starting in gamification, the first design point is to motivate players to achieve their goalsand those goals should overlap with the business goals."

Question

1. Which of the three types of Change Strategies would be the most appropriate for implementing gamification in an organization?Be specific and give examples from the case.
2. Use Lewin's Three Phases of Change to show how implementing gamification would be implemented successfully in an organization.