Fun Shopping: A Randomized Field Experiment on Gamification

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Ho, Yi-Jen (Ian); Liu, Siyuan; Wang, Lei

Abstract: Gamification utilizes game-like features to engage participants, widely implemen ... Expand

Abstract: Gamification utilizes game-like features to engage participants, widely implemented in a variety of contexts. Such an IT-enabled engagement strategy serves as a marketing device to boost sales and customer loyalty. This study focuses on two significant game elements (i.e., badges and leaderboards) that promote consumer motivations and social comparisons. To qualify the impacts, we conduct a randomized field experiment at one of the largest shopping malls in Asia. In the experiment, we contrast the two elements against coupons regarding various shopping outcomes. A two-period design (consisting of the treatment and posttreatment periods) identifies the long-term behavior changes after the treatment removals. The main results suggest that badging and leaderboarding promote sales by 21.5% and 22.5% in the treatment period, respectively, whereas couponing delivers a more potent effect of 31.7%. In the posttreatment period, the gamification impacts remain significant compared with the baseline, but the influence of couponing fades out. Besides, the additional analyses document the salient heterogeneous treatment effects across demographics. We further discover the substantial differences in the within-group heterogeneity across the treatments. Specifically, badging is a balanced tool for attracting the general public, whereas leaderboarding is a double-edged sword that could encourage self-reinforcing or self-banishing. Finally, gamification brings more explorations that lead to additional sales and engagements. Overall, the robust results can be translated into actionable strategies to utilize gamification proactively.History: Ravi Bapna, Senior Editor; Yili (Kevin) Hong, Associate Editor. Collapse

Topics: gamification wireless LAN consumer behavior technology adoption user interface

Methods: experiment experimental group survey randomized field experiment parametric test

Theories: motivation theory self determination theory

Enhancing brand love, customer engagement, brand experience, and repurchase intention: Focusing on the role of gamification in mobile apps

2023 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Hsu, Chia-Lin

Abstract: Advances in and increased access to mobile technology have prompted businesses t ... Expand

Abstract: Advances in and increased access to mobile technology have prompted businesses to embrace gamified appli­ cations, particularly to enhance customer engagement. Thus, it is important to highlight not only the antecedents and consequences of customer engagement but also the critical role of gamification. This study aims to examine the causal relationships among brand identification, self-expressiveness, brand love, gamification, customer engagement, brand experience, and repurchase intention in the context of Nike Run Club, a gamified running app available at the Apple and Google Play stores. It also explores the mediating effect of consumer engagement on the association that brand love and gamification have with brand experience and repurchase intention. Addi­ tionally, it analyzes the moderating effects of gamification on the relationship between brand love and customer engagement. The hypotheses are empirically tested by analyzing data collected from 526 respondents on a Nike Run Club app. Results confirm that both brand identification and self-expressiveness significantly and positively influence brand love, which in turn significantly and positively affects customer engagement and, subsequently, brand experience and repurchase intention. Further, this study demonstrates that customer engagement acts as a mediator to improve brand experience and to motivate the customer to repurchase the brand. In addition to showing the impact of gamification on brand love, brand experience, and repurchase intention, this study reveals the moderating effect of gamification on the relationship between brand love and customer engagement. These findings offer deeper insights into brand identification, self-expressiveness, and gamification as significant influencing factors, which can be helpful to brand managers in enhancing brand love and customer engagement. Additionally, this study demonstrates that gamification is the most effective approach to increasing brand love, strengthening customer engagement, and improving brand experiences and repurchase intention. Collapse

Topics: gamification mobile application marketing management consumer behavior affordance

Methods: survey theory development data transformation SEM tool confirmatory factor analysis

Editorial Introduction

2023 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Zwass, Vladimir

Abstract: We shall live with artificial intelligence (AI). Machine learning based on the d ... Expand

Abstract: We shall live with artificial intelligence (AI). Machine learning based on the deep neural networks, supported by the exponentially growing data aggregates stored and processed in the ever expanding cloud, that is being built the ever more powerful general-purpose and specialized AI chips, places AI ever more closely alongside us humans. We will need to further investigate redesigning our individual and collaborative work in seeking increased productivity from the human-AI collaboration. How will the other team participants perceive the work-oriented attributes of the AI agents?. Collapse

Topics: blockchain gamification tokenomics consumer behavior electronic trading

Methods: design science machine learning deep learning

Gamblified digital product offerings: an experimental study of loot box menu designs

2022 | Electronic Markets | Citations: 0

Authors: Adam, Martin; Roethke, Konstantin; Benlian, Alexander

Abstract: To augment traditional monetization strategies, digital platform providers incre ... Expand

Abstract: To augment traditional monetization strategies, digital platform providers increasingly draw on gamblification (i.e., the use of gambling design elements). By means of gambling design elements (e.g., lottery tickets, scratch cards, loot boxes), platform providers do not only entertain users but also incentivize them to purchase digital products. Yet, despite the increasing prevalence of gamblified digital platforms, little is known about how gamblification influences user purchase behaviors. Drawing on prospect theory, we investigate gamblification in the form of loot box menu designs and the associated effects of uncertainty, loss experience and behavioral control on user purchase behavior. Specifically, we conducted a contest-based online experiment with 159 participants, finding that platform providers can profit from offering loot boxes with certain (vs. uncertain) rewards in loot box menus. Furthermore, this effect intensifies when participants previously experienced a loss and decreases when they perceive to have more control over the result. Thus, our findings provide theoretical and practical insights for a better understanding of gamblification in general and of loot box menu designs for enhancing digital business models in particular. Collapse

Topics: loot box digital business model digital product gamification decision making

Methods: experiment survey design survey logistic regression factorial experiment

Theories: prospect theory expected utility theory

Applying cognitive evaluation theory to analyze the impact of gamification mechanics on user engagement in resource recycling

2022 | Information & Management | Citations: 4

Authors: Hsu, Chia-Lin

Abstract: Public awareness of the need to protect the environment has been on the rise giv ... Expand

Abstract: Public awareness of the need to protect the environment has been on the rise given the widespread, continuous degradation of the global environment. Governments and businesses play important roles in fostering public acceptance of eco-friendly products and in increasing people’s use of resource recycling to achieve sustainable development. The present study, thus, explores how a website’s gamification mechanics influence the intrinsic motivations and needs satisfaction of users as well as their engagement in resource recycling. In addition, it investigates how environmental concerns moderate the relationships between intrinsic motivations and user engagement. The results reveal that gamification helps foster user engagement in resource recycling by influ­ encing needs satisfaction (i.e., relatedness, competence, and autonomy) between gamification mechanics and intrinsic motivations (i.e., self-presentation, self-efficacy, and flow). For users with high vs. low environmental concerns, intrinsic motivations have a more significant effect on their engagement in resource recycling. It is found that gamification not only creates intrinsic motivation, but it is also likely to facilitate the satisfaction of psychological needs through mechanisms such as self-expression, point rewards, and competition. This research adds to the literature by contributing a slightly different understanding of the success of gamification. Collapse

Topics: gamification website self efficacy intrinsic motivation user requirement

Methods: survey survey design SEM tool data transformation Student's t-test

Theories: cognitive evaluation theory

Monetizing Loot Boxes in Gamblified Digital Business Models — The Role of Risk Avoidance and Loss Aversion

2021 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Roethke, Konstantin; Albrecht, Gregor; Adam, Martin; Benlian, Alexander

Abstract: Digital business models increasingly utilize gamblification (i.e., the use of g ... Expand

Abstract: Digital business models increasingly utilize gamblification (i.e., the use of gambling design elements in non-gambling contexts) to enhance traditional revenue generation. However, despite the increasing prevalence of gamblified digital business models, little is known about the influence of gamblification design on user behavior. We examine how gamblification in the form of differently designed loot boxes (i.e., gamblified virtual goods) and the connected effects of risk avoidance, previous endowment, and risk attitudes affects user purchase behavior. We conducted a contest-based online experiment with 180 participants, revealing that user purchase behavior is positively affected when loot boxes with a certain (vs. an uncertain) reward are offered. This risk avoidance effect increases when participants are either previously endowed with an unopened loot box or when they are risk-averse. Our findings yield theoretical and practical implications for gamblification in general and loot boxes complementing digital business models in particular. Collapse

Topics: loot box digital business model user behavior consumer behavior gamification

Methods: experiment survey statistical hypothesis test logistic regression survey design

Theories: loss aversion prospect theory

Impact of Gamification on Perceptions of Word-of-Mouth Contributors and Actions of Word-of-Mouth Consumers

2020 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Lei Wang; Gunasti, Kunter; Shankar, Ramesh; Pancras, Joseph; Gopal, Ram

Abstract: Gamification has been shown to encourage contributions of user-generated reviews ... Expand

Abstract: Gamification has been shown to encourage contributions of user-generated reviews (word-of-mouth: WOM) in various domains, including travel and leisure related platforms (Foursquare, TripAdvisor), e-commerce (Amazon), and auctions (eBay). WOM contributors write reviews about products/services provided by business venues and WOM consumers read reviews and use them to form attitudes and make purchase decisions. Gamification elements such as points and badges, awarded to WOM contributors for various reasons, and displayed to WOM consumers, have a dual role in WOM context. First, points awarded for user contributions help motivate WOM contributors to increase their participation. Second, badges awarded to users for visiting business venues signal prior experience or competence, and they help determine how WOM consumers perceive WOM contributors and form their judgments based on the reviews. While the first role of gamification (i.e., motivating users) has been widely studied, the impact of WOM presented along with gamification elements on the perceptions and behavior of the target audience, WOM consumers, has not been examined. This is important to businesses that are looking to attract customers. Drawing on social psychology literature, we show that gamification symbols signaling experience that accompany WOM leads to perceptions of positive WOM contributors as more competent. This leads to important changes in behavioral outcomes such as willingness to visit/buy and willingness to recommend the reviewed outlets. Collapse

Topics: gamification consumer behavior location based service mobile platform perceived usefulness

Methods: experiment survey robustness check descriptive statistic cross sectional research

Theories: cognitive theory

Gamification and online consumer decisions: Is the game over?

2020 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 22

Authors: Tobon, Sandra; Ruiz-Alba, José L.; García-Madariaga, Jesús

Abstract: Consumption can be more than just a necessity; it can become a leisure activity. ... Expand

Abstract: Consumption can be more than just a necessity; it can become a leisure activity. With the emergence of e-commerce and social media, products and services are just one click away; a trend that is further driven by gamified systems. This research aims to systematically analyze the most relevant academic literature on gamification, to establish if it influences online consumer decisions and, if so, which elements, mechanisms, and theories can explain it. After a thorough search from Web of Science and Scopus databases using SciMAT, 257 papers were analyzed. Twenty-nine (29) of the 36 papers found show empirical evidence that the inclusion of game elements in non-game activities has a significant influence on consumer engagement and online consumer decisions in digital contexts. Moreover, rewards and challenges were identified as the two most used mechanisms, with points, badges, and leaderboards being the most tested gamification elements. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) are the two most common theoretical explanations for why gamification works. Lastly, possible future studies to include thematic, methodological and theoretical agendas were discussed. Collapse

Topics: gamification marketing management video game electronic commerce mobile application

Methods: literature sample bibliometric analysis literature study structured literature research literature filtering

Theories: self determination theory

Sharing Yet Caring: Mitigating Moral Hazard in Access-Based Consumption through IS-Enabled Value Co-Capturing with Consumers

2018 | Business & Information Systems Engineering | Citations: 0

Authors: Hildebrandt, Björn; Hanelt, Andre; Firk, Sebastian

Abstract: The quest for creating smart and sustainable cities entails various substantial ... Expand

Abstract: The quest for creating smart and sustainable cities entails various substantial challenges, such as environmental degradation and a shortage of space. To negotiate these hurdles, innovative approaches must be implemented. A key aspect in this regard is the shared use of resources via forms of access-based consumption. Owing to advances in the digitalization of contemporary societies, these concepts have recently attracted both consumer and scholarly interest. However, the digitally enabled separation of ownership and use brings along the risk of moral hazard by consumers using resources in careless or wasteful ways, which is detrimental to the sustainability of the overall system. In this study, the authors conceptualize and empirically investigate how these adverse effects can be mitigated by applying the potentials of connectivity and digital data to enable users to participate economically while acting favorably from a collective perspective. The results of the quasi-experimental research design, situated in a carsharing context and comprising data records of 2,983 bookings, indicate that this form of value co-capturing with consumers can significantly motivate users to alter their behavior. From these findings, the authors derive important implications for research on the sustainability of digital business eco-systems in the specific context of smart cities. Collapse

Topics: ride sharing platform business model moral hazard value creation smart city

Methods: regression analysis method propensity score method longitudinal research time series analysis experimental group

Theories: agency theory

LEARNING ABOUT AMBIGUOUS TECHNOLOGIES: CONCEPTUALIZATION AND RESEARCH AGENDA

2017 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Pillet, Jean-Charles; Pigni, Federico; Vitari, Claudio

Abstract: Information Technologies (IT) have gradually transformed into complex digital ar ... Expand

Abstract: Information Technologies (IT) have gradually transformed into complex digital artefacts with blurred and constantly changing functional boundaries. While this shift offers promising venues that unfold in front of our eyes every day, it also challenges the deeply entrenched knowledge structures on which ordinary users rely to learn about unfamiliar technologies. We propose to take a step back in order to theorize the ambiguous nature of modern IT and to speculate on how users learn to use them. This paper revisits a wide array of management (BYOD, Gamification) and IS design trends (generativity, everyday computing, incompleteness) through the lens of the categorization framework. Our review of the literature on ambiguous products suggests that users exposed to ambiguous technologies may experience a categorization difficulty that disrupts the process of learning how to use them. This difficulty stems from a user’s belief that there are multiple or inconsistent interpretations of why and how to use an IT, as well as a perception that a given IT has some attributes in common with one or several seemingly unrelated ITs. We build on this theorization to propose a research agenda and discuss the expected practical implications of this path of research. Collapse

Topics: marketing management consumer behavior innovation management technology adoption bring your own device

Methods: design artifact theory development literature study literature sample