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

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.

Redemption Through Play? Exploring the Ethics of Workplace Gamification

“…The magic circle, of course, does not necessarily refer to a literal or physical place; it may also refer to an interior space, a 'play-mentality' (Gadamer, 2004) or 'lusory attitude' (Suits, 2014) that draws participants into engaging with the task at hand in a new, more enjoyable way. Gamification seeks to establish a magic circle within business by turning otherwise mundane forms of work into joyful play (see Coelho & Abreu, 2023;Marczewski, 2014;Peters, 2022), which may be competitive or collaborative or solo in nature.…”