Driving affective commitment among food delivery executives towards an online food delivery partner platform through gamification

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rapid growth of online food delivery services has been driven by changing economic landscapes and lifestyles, further accelerated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in an emerging economy like India. This study focuses on gamified online food delivery partner platforms (OFDPPs) and their need to foster commitment among food delivery executives due to their tendency to engage in subversive activities due to algorithmic management implemented by the OFDPPs. By obtaining data from food delivery executives across six tier-1 cities in India, this study examines the impact of game dynamics on the different dimensions of a gameful experience and fostering affective commitment toward the OFDPP. The results of this study provide insights to designers and managers of OFDPPs looking to implement game dynamics to afford a gameful experience for food delivery executives using the OFDPP. By leaning on the MDA framework and Self-Determination theory, this study also addresses calls in the literature to provide a theoretical underpinning to applying gamification in an online food delivery service context.