Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
Kangwon National University, [email protected]
Abstract
Motivation is one of the key factors for organization’s success. A gamification has been emerging as
a new breakthrough for motivation of organization’s members. The managements and practitioners
easily face with the problems that there are very few guidelines or methods that can be referred when
they are trying to introduce a gamification. To provide a fundamental strategic approach which shows
how to start a gamification to the managements and practitioners is the purpose of this paper. This
paper does not provide the entire or detailed methodologies for gamification. Nevertheless, a
fundamental strategic approach for gamification in this paper may be helpful to start a design the
blueprint for the organization’s gamification.
Keywords: Gamification, Methodology, Strategic Approach, Management Guideline
1. Introduction
Past few years, a concept of gamification and its applications have been spread out as a new tool for
motivation in and around North America and Europe. The positive effects of gamification have not
been investigated extensively and clearly yet. There are some critics who argue that a gamification is
one of the deceiving tools of the managements, the positive effects of gamification are limited and
temporary, and the backlash effects of gamification are not clearly investigated. However, the
challenging and creative applications of gamification are increasing continuously. The most important
and also difficult point is how to start a gamification process. Most organizations start a gamification
process with an investigation of gamified cases and game mechanisms. It’s not bad as a beginning, but
it’ll be better if they can think about some strategic factors of gamification at this stage. This paper
suggests some strategic factors that should be considered by the managements and practitioners at the
first step of gamification process.
The following parts of this paper are organized in three parts. Firstly, previous works on
motivation theory, gamers’ type, taxonomy of fun and pleasure, and gamification cases are
summarized shortly. Secondly, a fundamental strategic approach which shows how to start a
gamification to the managements and practitioners is suggested. Finally, the implication of this study
and further research issues are summarized in the conclusion section.
2. Literature review
This section summarized previous works on motivation theory, gamification cases, gamers’ type,
and taxonomy of fun and pleasure.
2.1. Motivation theory
In this section, McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y, Maslow’s five-stage needs model, and
Alderfer’s ERG model are summarized. McGregor at the MIT Sloan School of Management suggests
Theory X and Theory Y which have two contrasting models of human motivation [1]. Theory X is
based on the belief that employees are fundamentally lazy and have a habit of avoiding work because
they do not like working for organization. Theory Y is based on the belief that employees have an
ambition, and they are self-motivated and self-controlled. So, employees like their job duties and enjoy
their work. Maslow suggests five-stage model of human needs [2]. His model has five-stages including
level 1 stage of biological and physiological needs (air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep); level 2
stage of safety needs (protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability); level 3 stage of
social needs (belongingness and love, work group, family, affection, relationships); level 4 stage of
International Journal of Digital Content Technology and its Applications(JDCTA)
Volume 7, Number 12, August 2013
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Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
esteem needs (self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige,
managerial responsibility); level 5 stage of self-actualization needs (realizing personal potential, selffulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences). Lower stage of need should be mostly
satisfied before people have a desire on the next higher stage of need. Alderfer provides the further
developed version of Maslow’s five-stage model of human needs [3]. Alderfer’s model, named ERG
theory, classifies the five-stage needs of Maslow into three categories of existence, relatedness, and
growth.
2.2. Gamification cases
Taskville is a city-building game similar with SimCity. The completion of tasks leads to the growth
of building and cities in the game field. Each city means a group of individuals in a big organization.
The play status of Taskville is shown on large display, and players complete their real-world tasks and
submit a completion of task, and a building in their own city is growing [4]. PowerHouse is an online
game which is tracking personal energy use in real world. A home smart meter sends the information
on personal energy use to the online game system, and then this information influences the abilities of
players in online game system. It provides a leaderboard display which compares ranking of individual
or team performances. Real life energy challenges provide further points and rewards to game players.
It also provides multiple online mini-games which motivate the players to help others to save energy
[5]. Roadwarrior is SAP's training solution for sales representatives. It provides a simulated meeting
with a virtual customer. In a simulated meeting, a sales representative should choose his own answer
among multiple choices to respond to the customer specific questions. Proper question, answer, and
meeting preparation give new badges and points to sales representatives, and they can progress and
unlock new levels [6]. The Leaf is the all-electric vehicle manufactured by Nissan. In most aspect,
Nissan Leaf is very similar to a conventional gas vehicle. The major difference with a conventional gas
vehicle is a limited range of driving due to the electric battery capacity. In Nissan Leaf, the Eco Mode
software tracks several variables which are related with energy consumption [7]. SUMO (Sustainability
Momentum) is a cloud app which aims to improve sustainability in an organization. SUMO has a goal
of saving both money and the environment. This app provides a game-like user interface and is
available on the iPhone and iPad. Using SUMO, employees can compare their sustainability level with
others. It shows the organizational performance of sustainability in real time and compares the current
status with other organizations [8, 9]. Plantville is an online game, launched by Siemens, which
provides an opportunity to learn about industrial plant management. This software deals with both
technical and business problems of plant management. The goal of Plantville is to improve awareness
of Simens technologies for future customers, employees, and students [10]. Ribbon Hero is a software
tutorial developed by Microsoft. Using Riboon Hero, users explore the key functionalities of MS
Office while solving some interactive challenges [11].
2.3. Gamers’ type
The original player types model of Bartle classifies game players into four categories using two
axes. The horizontal axe means a player’s degree of preference for virtual world itself or other players.
The vertical axe means a player’s degree of preference for acting alone or interacting. According these
two axes, game players are classified into the following four groups of achievers, explorers, socializers,
and killers [12]. The improved model which adds a third dimension of implicit and explicit was
suggested by Bartle [13]. Bartle mentioned that “Implicit action is that which is done automatically
without the intervention of the conscious mind; explicit action is that which is considered or planned
for, generally as a means to achieve some desired goal or effect.” The characteristics of eight player
types are summarized in table 1.
Kim & Ko provide the classification of engineering students based on the Bartle’s game player types
using the online survey which consists of 24 questionnaires [14]. Game player types of planners,
hackers, and friends are dominant, and griefers and politicians are minor in engineering class. There are
a small number of griefers among engineering students that is same with general distribution of player
types.
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Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
Table 1. Bartle’s game player types [13]
Game player type
Key characteristics
Opportunists
 They are implicit achievers.
 They do not miss a chance.
 They look around to find something to do without knowing what it is until they
find it.
 If they encounter with an obstacle, they do something else instead.
Planners





They are explicit achievers.
They like setting a goal and achieving it.
They design a large plan and perform actions for that plan.
If they encounter with an obstacle, they avoid it.
They persistently pursue their idea.
Scientists




They are explicit explorers.
They make theories by experiments.
They acquire knowledge methodically.
They explain phenomena.
Hackers




They are implicit explorers.
They want to reveal meaning by experiment.
They try to discover new phenomena faster than others.
They have an strong intuitive understanding on the virtual world
Networkers




They are explicit socializers.
They try to find people to interact with.
They think other players as fellows and want to know their fellow players.
They learn who and what their fellow players know.
Friends




They are implicit socializers.
They want to interact with players they already know.
They have a deep understanding of their fellow players.
They never mind the human weakness of fellow players.
Griefers





They are implicit killers.
They always like attacking others.
They are daring and brave,
They hope to get a big and notorious reputation from other players.
It’s very difficult to explain why they act as griefers.
Politicians




They are explicit killers.
They always act with forethought and foresight.
They foxy manipulate people.
They try to justify their decisions and actions in terms of their contribution and
sacrifice for the virtual world.
 They aims to get a good reputation and to raise an awareness.
2.4. Taxonomy of fun and pleasure
Hunicke et al. classifies the fun and pleasure factors into 8 categories of sensation, fantasy,
narrative, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, and submission [15]. Kubovy provides five
categories of factors including curiosity, sociality, virtuositu, nurture, and suffering [16]. Caillois
provides four categories of factors including competition, chance, vertigo, and simulation [17].
50
Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
Korhonen et al. proposes a framework of playful user experiences, named PLEX which are derived
from a previous work of Costello and Edmonds [18]. PLEX model classifies the fun and pleasure
factors into 20 factors of captivation, challenge, competition, completion, control, discovery, eroticism,
exploration, expression, fantasy, fellowship, nurture, relaxation, sadism, sensation, simulation,
subversion, suffering, sympathy, and thrill. Table 1 shows the definition of Korhonen et al.’s PLEX
factors [18]. This paper takes table 2 from the original work of Korhonen et al., and provides it without
any changes.
Table 2. Definition of PLEX factors [18]
Category
Description
Captivation
Experience of forgetting one’s surroundings
Challenge
Experience of having to develop and exercise skills in a challenging situation
Competition
Experience of victory-oriented competition against oneself, opponent or system
Completion
Experience of completion, finishing and closure, in relation to an earlier task or tension
Control
Experience power, mastery, control or virtuosity
Discovery
Experience of discovering a new solution, place or property
Eroticism
Experience of sexual pleasure or arousal
Exploration
Experience of exploring or investigating a world, affordance, puzzle or situation
Expression
Experience of creating something or expressing oneself in a creative fashion
Fantasy
Experience of make-believe involving fantastical narratives, worlds or characters
Fellowship
Experience of friendship, fellowship, communality or intimacy
Nurture
Experience of nurturing, grooming or caretaking
Relaxation
Experience of unwinding, relaxation or stress relief. Calmness during play
Sadism
Experience of destruction and exerting power over others
Sensation
Meaningful sensory experience
Simulation
Experience of perceiving a representation of everyday life
Subversion
Experience of breaking social roles, rules and norms
Suffering
Experience of frustration, anger, boredom and disappointment typical to playing
Sympathy
Experience of sharing emotional feelings
Thrill
Experience of thrill derived from an actual or perceived danger or risk
Kim analyzes the students’ needs on fun and pleasure using survey method based on PLEX model
[19]. Top five preferences are challenge, exploration, relaxation, completion, and discovery.
Engineering students have relatively less preference on competition, eroticism, suffering, sadism, and
control in engineering classes.
3. A fundamental strategic approach for gamification
Kim and Leem suggests a process model for supporting the information security strategy planning
which transforms the AS-IS implemental description into TO-BE implemental description. This model
consists of seven steps as shown in figure 1. In Kim and Leem’s model, the first step is a business
strategy analysis step which includes an analysis of the mission, objectives, strategy, and CSFs of the
organization. The second step is an environment analysis step which includes a business environment
analysis and technical environment analysis. Business environment analysis consists of external
environment analysis and internal environment analysis. The third step defines a scope and goal of TOBE model. A scope statement should be developed that clearly defines what is and what is not included
within the area of work to be completed. Goal of the plan are specified by objectives.
51
Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
Business
strategy
Competitive
environment
analysis report
Technical
trend
report
Existing
planning
document
Audit
reports
AS-IS
Model
Assessment
Business
Strategy
Analysis
Environment
Analysis
TO-BE
Scope &
Goal
TO-BE
Modeling
Implementation
Planning
Risk
Analysis
Administrative
modeling
Planning
document
Logical
modeling
Physical
modeling
Figure 1. Kim and Leem’s process model for information security strategy planning
This paper refers the front three steps of Kim and Leem’s model to design the framework of
strategic approach for the beginning of gamification. The framework is shown in figure 2.
Stage 1: Business strategy analysis
 Activity 1-1: Analysis of mission,
objectives, strategy, CSFs of the
organization
 Task 1-1-1: Analysis of mid-term
and long-term strategy for
information systems
 Task 1-1-2: Analysis of investment
strategy and budgeting plan for
employees’ motivation
 Task 1-1-3: Analysis of CSFs related
with employees
Stage 3: Definition of TO-BE scope & goal

Activity 3-1: Scope definition
 Task 3-1-1: Targeting business
function(s) for gamification

Activity 3-2: Goal definition
 Task 3-2-1: Targeting motivation
stage(s)
 Task 3-2-2: Targeting gamer
type(s)
 Task 3-2-3: Targeting factor(s) of
fun and pleasure
Stage 2: Environment analysis
 Activity 2-1: External environment
analysis
 Task 2-1-1: Analysis of current IT
systems and gamification systems
of suppliers and customers
 Activity 2-2: Internal environment
analysis
 Task 2-2-1: Analysis of current
systems for motivating employees
 Task 2-2-2: Analysis of gamer types
of employees
 Task 2-2-3: Analysis of employees’
needs on fun and pleasure
 Activity 2-3: Technical environment
analysis
 Task 2-3-1: Analysis of current
status of internal IT systems
 Task 2-3-2: Analysis of commercial
technologies for gamification
Figure 2. Framework of strategic approach for the beginning of gamification
52
Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
Each task shown in figure 2 is defined in table 3. The activities and tasks of next steps such as TOBE modeling and implementation planning for the gamification systems after step 3 are not provided in
this paper. As mentioned in the introduction section, the purpose of this paper is to provide a
framework of strategic approach for the beginning of gamification.
Table 3. Stages, activities, and tasks for the beginning of gamification
Stage
Stage 1:
Business
strategy
analysis
Activity
Activity 1-1:
Analysis of
mission,
objectives,
strategy,
CSFs of the
organization
Task
Task 1-1-1: Analysis of
mid-term and long-term
strategy for information
systems
Task 1-1-2: Analysis of
investment strategy and
budgeting plan for
employees’ motivation
Task 1-1-3: Analysis of
CSFs related with
employees
Stage 2:
Environment
analysis
Activity 2-1:
External
environment
analysis
Task 2-1-1: Analysis of
current IT systems and
gamification systems of
suppliers and customers
Activity 2-2:
Internal
environment
analysis
Task 2-2-1: Analysis of
current systems for
motivating employees
Based on Maslow’s model [2], the level of
desires which lacks in motivating the employees
should be analyzed.
Task 2-2-2: Analysis of
gamer types of employees
Based on Bartle’s model [12, 13], the gamer
types of employees should be investigated. So,
what kinds of gamers are there should be
considered.
Task 2-2-3: Analysis of
employees’ needs on fun
and pleasure
Based on PLEX model [18], the factors of fun
and pleasure that the employees need should be
investigated.
Task 2-3-1: Analysis of
current status of internal
IT systems
Infrastructure environments of gamification are
the information systems. So, what they have,
what can be used, and what to be implemented
are should be analyzed.
Task 2-3-2: Analysis of
commercial technologies
for gamification
What kinds of gamification technologies are
available should be considered.
Task 3-1-1: Targeting
business function(s) for
gamification
Task 3-2-1: Targeting
motivation stage(s)
What kinds of business functions are to be
gamified should be defined.
Task 3-2-2: Targeting
gamer type(s)
Considering Bartle’s model [12, 13], which
types of gamer would be satisfied by the
gamified systems should be determined.
Task 3-2-3: Targeting
factor(s) of fun and
pleasure
Considering PLEX model [18], what kinds of
fun and pleasure factors would be satisfied by
the gamified systems should be determined
because a single gamification system is difficult
to provide all the factors of fun and pleasure.
Activity 2-3:
Technical
environment
analysis
Stage 3:
Definition of
TO-BE scope
& goal
Activity 3-1:
Scope
definition
Activity 3-2:
Goal
definition
Description
Infrastructure environments of gamification are
the information systems. So, the organization’s
strategy and future plans for information
systems should be considered.
The main goal of gamification is a motivation of
employees. It should be considered: what kinds
of desires are focused, how much budget is
planned to be invested for motivation.
The characteristics of employees depend on the
industry. For example, hi-tech companies should
focus on an esteem need because hi-tech
engineers are more self-conceited than cashier
[21].
Sometimes the gamification systems can be
connected to the external systems of suppliers
and customers. Especially for the gamified
marketing systems, the IT devices, network,
software of the customers should be considered
thoughtfully [7, 10].
Considering Maslow’s model [2], which level of
desires would be satisfied by gamification
should be defined.
53
Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
4. Conclusion
Many organizations have been paying attention to gamification, but the managements and
practitioners in the organizations feel difficulty to start a gamification because a gamification is not
only concerned with IT issues but also closely and complexly related with management strategy,
cognitive science, psychology, aesthetics, motivation theory, and computer sciences. For this reason,
an introduction of gamification is very complicated, and the organizations are hard to find a specialist
who can manage this process. To provide a basic guideline for this situation, this paper suggests a
fundamental strategic approach for gamification. This paper suggests a partial methodology for
gamification which has three stages, six activities, and 13 tasks.
The implications of this paper are summarized as follows:
 The managements and practitioners can use this framework when they start a gamification
to make a strategic analysis and decision at the beginning stage.
 To design and develop the integrated methodology for gamification, a fundamental
framework of this paper could be referred.
Limitation and further research issues are summarized as follows:
 This paper suggests some strategic factors that should be considered at the first step.
However, it lacks in providing the detailed method how to analyze and combine those
factors.
 This paper only provides the first step of gamification. The next steps after the initiation
stage should be provided including design processes, implementation processes, and
operation and management processes of the gamified systems.
5. References
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[2] Abraham Harold Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation”, Psychological Review, Vol. 50, No.
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[3] Clayton Paul Alderfer, “An Empirical Test of a New Theory of Human Needs”, Organizational
Behaviour and Human Performance, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 142–175, 1969.
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Social Game for the Workplace”, Proceeding of CHI 2011, 2011.
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change energy behavior”, Proceeding of CHI 2011, 2011.
[6] Mario Herger, Roadwarrior: How SAP Trains Its Sales People on Mobility, EnterpriseGamification.com, 2012.
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[13] Richard Bartle, “Virtual Worlds: Why People Play”, Massively Multiplayer Game Development,
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[14] Sangkyun Kim, Franz I.S. Ko, "Toward Gamified Classroom: Classification of Engineering
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Fundamental Strategic Approach for Gamification
: How to Start a Gamification in Your Organization
Sangkyun Kim
[16] Michael Kubovy, “On Pleasures of the Mind”, in Kahneman, D., Diener, E. & Schwarz, N. (eds):
Well-Being: The Foundations of Hedonic Psychology, Russell Sage Foundation, 1999.
[17] Roger Caillois, Man, Play and Games, Free Press, 2001.
[18] Hannu Korhonen, Markus Montola, Juha Arrasvuori, “Understanding Playful User Experience
through Digital Games”, Proceeding of International Conference on Designing Pleasurable
Products and Interfaces, 2009.
[19] Sangkyun Kim, "Analysis of Engineering Students’ Needs for Gamification based on PLEX
Model", Journal on Knowledge and Data Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 1 ~ 7, 2013.
[20] Sangkyun Kim, Choon Seong Leem, “An Information Engineering Methodology for the Security
Strategy Planning”, LNCS, Vol. 3043, pp. 597–607, 2004.
[21] Adi Gaskell, Using Gamification for Employee Engagement, SalesForce Work Blog, 2013.
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