Paper ID
3301
Paper Type
full
Description
Gamification is an approach to enhance services with affordances for game-like motivational experiences in order to increase user value. Therefore, many service providers hope that gamification will help them to maintain an active user base. However, empirical studies which examine the relationship between gamification and user loyalty are scarce. Hence, this study investigates the impact of motivational user experiences (self-development, expressive freedom, social connectedness, and social comparison) of gamified services on user loyalty mediated by perceived hedonic and utilitarian value. Findings from a field survey in the fitness context reveal that almost all examined motivational experiences are positively related to hedonic as well as utilitarian value and, subsequently, to user loyalty. Importantly, social comparison is negatively associated with utilitarian value. This highlights the need to consider the different motivational experiences of gamified services when implementing gamification affordances to promote user loyalty.
Recommended Citation
Wolf, Tobias, "Intensifying User Loyalty Through Service Gamification: Motivational Experiences and Their Impact on Hedonic and Utilitarian Value" (2019). ICIS 2019 Proceedings. 31.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2019/behavior_is/behavior_is/31
Intensifying User Loyalty Through Service Gamification: Motivational Experiences and Their Impact on Hedonic and Utilitarian Value
Gamification is an approach to enhance services with affordances for game-like motivational experiences in order to increase user value. Therefore, many service providers hope that gamification will help them to maintain an active user base. However, empirical studies which examine the relationship between gamification and user loyalty are scarce. Hence, this study investigates the impact of motivational user experiences (self-development, expressive freedom, social connectedness, and social comparison) of gamified services on user loyalty mediated by perceived hedonic and utilitarian value. Findings from a field survey in the fitness context reveal that almost all examined motivational experiences are positively related to hedonic as well as utilitarian value and, subsequently, to user loyalty. Importantly, social comparison is negatively associated with utilitarian value. This highlights the need to consider the different motivational experiences of gamified services when implementing gamification affordances to promote user loyalty.