Unpacking the effect of gamified virtual CSR cocreated on users’ pro-environmental behavior: A holistic view of gamification affordance

Abstract

With the explosive growth in gamified mobile apps, many enterprises are using virtual corporate-social-responsibility (CSR) cocreation activities to strengthen consumer-brand interactions. However, research on the mechanism by which gamification affordance is imputed into virtual CSR cocreation to improve users' pro-environmental behavior is still lacking. Based on the “affordance-psychological outcomes-behavior outcomes” framework, this study explores the influence mechanism of gamification affordance on users' pro-environmental behavior in virtual CSR cocreation from the perspective of users' passion. Collecting 232 samples through two waves, this study reveals that all gamification affordances (reward, achievement, competition and playfulness) can predict users’ pro-environmental behavior. Second, harmonious passion mediates the effects of holistic gamification affordance and obsessive passion mediates the effects of achievement and playfulness affordance on users' pro-environmental behavior. This study can therefore promote user participation in CSR cocreation and foster the implementation of pro-environmental behavior through gamification affordance in practice.