Skip to main content
Top
Published in:

16-09-2022 | Original Paper

The Corporate (Magic) Circle: Fun Work or Controlled Play?

Authors: Franz Coelho, Ana Maria Abreu

Published in: TechTrends | Issue 1/2023

Login to get access

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Entertainment games have traditionally been articulated as leisure. However, they have also been used in the work context, in the form of serious games or gamification. In this qualitative research, we aimed to investigate the purpose of games used in the work context. To accomplish this, we conducted six semi-structured interviews and analyzed the discourses of the heads of the companies that produce serious games or gamification projects for work environments. Based on these statements, we assessed the views of the work context, the workers, and the projects the companies produce. We found that games have acquired different purposes, such as employee control to increase organizational results or enhance workers’ happiness and wellbeing. Although these purposes seemed to stand out in all the analyzed speeches, several other different purposes emerged, according to the conditions of entry into the market and the type of projects produced.
Literature
go back to reference Bagheri Hosseinabadi, M., Etemadinezhad, S., Khanjani, N., Ahmadi, O., Gholinia, H., Galeshi, M., & Samaei, S. E. (2018). Evaluating the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction among female hospital nurses in Babol: An application of structural equation modeling. Health Promotion Perspectives, 8(2), 102. https://doi.org/10.15171/HPP.2018.13 Bagheri Hosseinabadi, M., Etemadinezhad, S., Khanjani, N., Ahmadi, O., Gholinia, H., Galeshi, M., & Samaei, S. E. (2018). Evaluating the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction among female hospital nurses in Babol: An application of structural equation modeling. Health Promotion Perspectives, 8(2), 102. https://​doi.​org/​10.​15171/​HPP.​2018.​13
go back to reference Chen, X., Ran, L., Zhang, Y., Yang, J., Yao, H., Zhu, S., & Tan, X. (2019). Moderating role of job satisfaction on turnover intention and burnout among workers in primary care institutions: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 19, 1526. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7894-7 Chen, X., Ran, L., Zhang, Y., Yang, J., Yao, H., Zhu, S., & Tan, X. (2019). Moderating role of job satisfaction on turnover intention and burnout among workers in primary care institutions: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 19, 1526. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1186/​s12889-019-7894-7
go back to reference Creswell, J., & Cheryl, P. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage Publications, Inc. Creswell, J., & Cheryl, P. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
go back to reference Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011a). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, MindTrek 2011, 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040 Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011a). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “gamification.” Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, MindTrek 2011, 9–15. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1145/​2181037.​2181040
go back to reference Deterding, S., Khaled, R., Nacke, L. E., & Dixon, D. (2011b). Gamification: Toward a definition. CHI 2011 Gamification Workshop Proceedings (12–15). Deterding, S., Khaled, R., Nacke, L. E., & Dixon, D. (2011b). Gamification: Toward a definition. CHI 2011 Gamification Workshop Proceedings (12–15).
go back to reference Elias, N., & Dunning. (1986). Quest for excitement: sport and leisure in the civilizing process. Basil Blackwell, Inc. Elias, N., & Dunning. (1986). Quest for excitement: sport and leisure in the civilizing process. Basil Blackwell, Inc.
go back to reference Ferreira, A. T., Araújo, A. M., Fernandes, S., & Miguel, I. C. (2017). Gamification in the workplace: A systematic literature review. In Á. Rocha, A. M. Correia, H. Adeli, L. P. Reis, & S. Costanzo (Eds.), Recent Advances in Information Systems and Technologies (pp. 283–292). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56541-5_29 Ferreira, A. T., Araújo, A. M., Fernandes, S., & Miguel, I. C. (2017). Gamification in the workplace: A systematic literature review. In Á. Rocha, A. M. Correia, H. Adeli, L. P. Reis, & S. Costanzo (Eds.), Recent Advances in Information Systems and Technologies (pp. 283–292). Springer International Publishing. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​978-3-319-56541-5_​29
go back to reference Giorgi, G., Lecca, L. I., Alessio, F., Finstad, G. L., Bondanini, G., Lulli, L. G., Arcangeli, G., & Mucci, N. (2020). COVID-19-related mental health effects in the workplace: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217857 Giorgi, G., Lecca, L. I., Alessio, F., Finstad, G. L., Bondanini, G., Lulli, L. G., Arcangeli, G., & Mucci, N. (2020). COVID-19-related mental health effects in the workplace: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21). https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​ijerph17217857
go back to reference Glas, R., Lammes, S., de Lange, M., Raessens, J., & de Vries, I. (2019). The Playful Citizen (Vol. 1). Amsterdam University Press. Glas, R., Lammes, S., de Lange, M., Raessens, J., & de Vries, I. (2019). The Playful Citizen (Vol. 1). Amsterdam University Press.
go back to reference Gu, Y., Liu, D., Zheng, G., Yang, C., Dong, Z., & Tee, E. Y. J. (2020). The effects of chinese seafarers’ job demands on turnover intention: The role of fun at work. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145247 Gu, Y., Liu, D., Zheng, G., Yang, C., Dong, Z., & Tee, E. Y. J. (2020). The effects of chinese seafarers’ job demands on turnover intention: The role of fun at work. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14). https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​ijerph17145247
go back to reference Huizinga, J. (1980). Homo Ludens: A study of the play-element in culture. Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. Huizinga, J. (1980). Homo Ludens: A study of the play-element in culture. Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.
go back to reference Juul, J. (2005). Half-real: Video games between real rules and fictional worlds. MIT Press. Juul, J. (2005). Half-real: Video games between real rules and fictional worlds. MIT Press.
go back to reference Korn, O., Boffo, S., & Schmidt, A. (2015). The effect of gamification on emotions - The potential of facial recognition in work environments. Kurosu, M. (eds) Human-Computer Interaction: Design and Evaluation. HCI 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 9169, 489–499. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20901-2_46 Korn, O., Boffo, S., & Schmidt, A. (2015). The effect of gamification on emotions - The potential of facial recognition in work environments. Kurosu, M. (eds) Human-Computer Interaction: Design and Evaluation. HCI 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 9169, 489–499. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​978-3-319-20901-2_​46
go back to reference Sala, G., Jopp, D., Gobet, F., Ogawa, M., Ishioka, Y., Masui, Y., Inagaki, H., Nakagawa, T., Yasumoto, S., Ishizaki, T., Arai, Y., Ikebe, K., Kamide, K., & Gondo, Y. (2019). The impact of leisure activities on older adults’ cognitive function, physical function, and mental health. PLoS One1, 14(11), e0225006. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0225006CrossRef Sala, G., Jopp, D., Gobet, F., Ogawa, M., Ishioka, Y., Masui, Y., Inagaki, H., Nakagawa, T., Yasumoto, S., Ishizaki, T., Arai, Y., Ikebe, K., Kamide, K., & Gondo, Y. (2019). The impact of leisure activities on older adults’ cognitive function, physical function, and mental health. PLoS One1, 14(11), e0225006. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1371/​JOURNAL.​PONE.​0225006CrossRef
go back to reference Shen, X., Macdonald, M., Logan, S. W., Parkinson, C., Gorrell, L., & Hatfield, B. E. (2022). Leisure engagement during COVID-19 and its association with mental health and wellbeing in U.S. Adults International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1081. https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH19031081 Shen, X., Macdonald, M., Logan, S. W., Parkinson, C., Gorrell, L., & Hatfield, B. E. (2022). Leisure engagement during COVID-19 and its association with mental health and wellbeing in U.S. Adults International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1081. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​IJERPH19031081
go back to reference Tarafdar, M., Maier, C., Laumer, S., & Weitzel, T. (2020). Explaining the link between technostress and technology addiction for social networking sites: A study of distraction as a coping behavior. Information Systems Journal, 30(1), 96–124. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12253CrossRef Tarafdar, M., Maier, C., Laumer, S., & Weitzel, T. (2020). Explaining the link between technostress and technology addiction for social networking sites: A study of distraction as a coping behavior. Information Systems Journal, 30(1), 96–124. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1111/​isj.​12253CrossRef
Metadata
Title
The Corporate (Magic) Circle: Fun Work or Controlled Play?
Authors
Franz Coelho
Ana Maria Abreu
Publication date
16-09-2022
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
TechTrends / Issue 1/2023
Print ISSN: 8756-3894
Electronic ISSN: 1559-7075
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-022-00776-z

Premium Partner