It is Really Not a Game: An Integrative Review of Gamification for Service Research

Abstract

Gamification has attracted considerable practitioner attention and has become a viable tactic for influencing behavior, boosting innovation, and improving marketing outcomes across industries. Simultaneously, studies on the use of gamification techniques have emerged in diverse fields, including computer science, education, and healthcare. Despite the broad popularity of gamification in other fields, it has received only limited attention in the service literature. Moreover, the findings of extant studies on gamification in the service field are inconclusive and suggest an incomplete understanding of the employment of gamification in service contexts. Thus, this study aims to integrate the growing but scattered cross-disciplinary literature on gamification and to emphasize its relevance to service research. Specifically, we first conceptualize gamification for service and differentiate it from related concepts. Then, using a systematic literature review, we identify 34 empirical articles that reflect this gamification conceptualization and can be connected to relevant service research themes (e.g., customer participation, experience, and loyalty). Employing activity theory, we derive four higher-order functions of gamification: production, consumption, exchange, and distribution. Finally, we develop a research agenda to generate a better understanding of the central aspects within each of the identified gamification functions and stimulate future academic efforts on gamification in services.

Developing a scale for gamified e-service quality in the e-retailing industry

“…In the gamified context, feelings such as social development, enjoyment, competition and social interaction create psychological benefits for customers, which affect their experience. The comparison of experience and perception leads to perceived e-service quality (Bauer et al, 2020;Ciuchita et al, 2022). Huotari and Hamari (2017) defined gamification as a process of enhancing services that are acquired as a result of game experience, and it aims to support the users in creating values in the game.…”

“…Gamification provides e-retailers and marketers with numerous tools and elements, including contests, rewards, points, levels, badges and challenges. This way, it stimulates psychological needs of customers, including competition, pleasure, curiosity and social connectedness to create a unique experience when Results of factor analysis IJRDM 51,4 using the service (Bauer et al, 2020;Ciuchita et al, 2022;Insley and Nunan, 2014). In other words, hedonic activities reduce negative experiences and create a better perception of service quality by consistently meeting customer expectations (Hsu and Chen, 2018).…”

“…In the gamified context, feelings such as social development, enjoyment, competition and social interaction create psychological benefits for customers, which affect their experience. The comparison of experience and perception leads to perceived e-service quality (Bauer et al ., 2020; Ciuchita et al ., 2022).…”

Gamification in the customer journey: a conceptual model and future research opportunities

“…Despite the growing interest in gamification, research investigating the interplay between gamification and CX is emergent, and, therefore, contributions are needed (Ciuchita et al, 2023;Leclercq et al, 2020a;Wolf et al, 2020). Current research conceptualized CX as spontaneous customer responses to all stimuli and interactions with the firm during the customer journey (Silva et al, 2021;Lemon and Verhoef, 2016).…”

Gamificación y políticas públicas ¡Que empiece el juego!

“…Múltiples publicaciones especializadas en gamificación se hacen eco de las novedades en este campo como el JMIR Serious Games, el International Journal of Serious Games, el EAI Endorsed Transactions on Serious Games, Entertainment Computing, Games and Culture y Game Studies. En resumen, se puede afirmar que se ha desarrollado un ecosistema completo entorno al fenómeno de la gamificación (Ciuchita et al, 2022).…”