Design Elements of Conflict: A Design Study of a Gamified Smartphone Application for Employee Onboarding

Abstract

AbstractGamification, the use of game-like elements in non-game contexts, has gained popularity in the field of human resources. However, little research has been conducted on the use of gamification in the employee onboarding process, specifically in terms of socializing and assimilating new employees into an organization. This study aimed to explore the design, development, and implementation of a gamified smartphone application for employee onboarding in a manufacturing company. Ethnographic data was collected over the course of 60 weeks through participation at various field sites and analyzed using thematical analysis with a human-centered design focus, examining the meaning attributed to the gamified application by different stakeholders within the organization. The results showed that different stakeholder groups attributed different and sometimes conflicting meanings to various design elements. The key finding was the identification of four bipolar design dimensions that both supported and hindered the design among stakeholders. These findings have both academic and practical implications for the design of future gamified employee onboarding tools in large enterprises.