Abstract
Gamification is developing to the point where more and more organisations are relying on it to improve employee performance. The aim is to generate greater involvement and motivation in the workplace by adopting mechanisms that have been developed in a playful context. The objective of obtaining greater commitment from employees and users through gamification was announced as early as the first research on this topic (Zicherman & Cunningham, 2011; Dominguez et al.,2013). This thesis explores this relationship by adopting the expectations of the three actors in the process: the designer, the manager and the employee.Engagement, considered here as the objective of gamification, is theorised by the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R model) (Bakker, 2016; Schaufeli et al.,2017). It considers the factors likely to cause engagement. Our contributions aim at a better understanding of the effects of gamification. We analyse the objective that is pursued when designers implement specific mechanisms. We study the expectations of organisations that use this new practice. We present the way in which users are sensitive to devices designed to engage them. The thesis is therefore based on three essays:- (1) Gamification: in search of a (re)definition.This essay presents the point of view of gamification designers. Its aim is to propose a definition of gamification. We use the Podsakoff et al. method (2016) to come up with our own definition of gamification. This method involves writing a literature review of existing definitions and then conducting interviews with people connected with the concept under study (researchers, professionals). We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews in two stages (discovery stage and refinement stage).- (2) Gamification as an indicator of organisational and occupational normsThis essay adopts the point of view of organisations that use gamification. Its aim is to better understand the purpose of organisations when they use gamification. In this essay, we show that the organisational and occupational norms that companies want employees to adopt can be promoted through game mechanisms. We analyse five situations, two of which are based on observations and interviews: the cases of Pôle Emploi and Brico Dépôt. The "Simulation-Based Recruitment Method" is a field in which gamification can be implemented to ensure employee commitment. Pôle Emploi uses this method to enable applicants to reveal skills that do not appear on their CVs. Our trial shows that gamification systems can implement organisational and occupational standards that characterise the job on offer. Gamification therefore encourages the recruitment of motivated people. The case of Brico Dépôt has another objective: to strengthen the commitment of existing teams to the brand, to the tasks already carried out and to the new missions proposed.- (3) Measuring preferences in gamification: a proposed measurement scaleThis essay adopts the user's perspective. Its aim is to understand which game environment is most likely to encourage user engagement. The literature shows that users can have preferences and that not all gamification mechanisms operate in the same way. Following Churchill's (1979) process, we propose a measurement scale to uncover user preferences in terms of gamification and receptivity to different game mechanisms. This scale has been tested with 411 users. It will be useful for designers, managers and users alike.