Abstract
Gamification is widely used to increase motivation and engagement, yet implementations often remain ad hoc and poorly structured, leading to inconsistent effects and ethical concerns. While prior research has primarily focused on the design of gamification, less attention has been paid to how gamification is managed in practice. To address this gap, we introduce the concept of \textit{Gamification Management} and investigate how practitioners understand, organize, and experience challenges in gamification projects. We conducted semi‑structured expert interviews with nine practitioners and applied qualitative content analysis. Our results reveal that practitioners largely share a common conceptual understanding of gamification but organize projects in highly heterogeneous ways, with limited use of structured frameworks, testing strategies, and formalized decision‑making processes. Keychallenges include a lack of resources, insufficient knowledge of game design and gamification theory, as well as, process‑related difficulties. We argue that the recurring quality issues in gamification are not solely a design problem but also a management problem. Our findings highlight the need for more systematic approaches to managing gamification and contribute to a better understanding of gamification as an organizational practice within IS development and operations.
Paper Type
Full Paper
DOI
10.62036/ISD.2026.9
Understanding Gamification Management: Practitioner Perspectives on Project Organization and Challenges
Gamification is widely used to increase motivation and engagement, yet implementations often remain ad hoc and poorly structured, leading to inconsistent effects and ethical concerns. While prior research has primarily focused on the design of gamification, less attention has been paid to how gamification is managed in practice. To address this gap, we introduce the concept of \textit{Gamification Management} and investigate how practitioners understand, organize, and experience challenges in gamification projects. We conducted semi‑structured expert interviews with nine practitioners and applied qualitative content analysis. Our results reveal that practitioners largely share a common conceptual understanding of gamification but organize projects in highly heterogeneous ways, with limited use of structured frameworks, testing strategies, and formalized decision‑making processes. Keychallenges include a lack of resources, insufficient knowledge of game design and gamification theory, as well as, process‑related difficulties. We argue that the recurring quality issues in gamification are not solely a design problem but also a management problem. Our findings highlight the need for more systematic approaches to managing gamification and contribute to a better understanding of gamification as an organizational practice within IS development and operations.
Recommended Citation
Nagel, K., Maiwald, M., Rauschenberger, M. & Escalona, M.J.(2026). Understanding Gamification Management: Practitioner Perspectives on Project Organization and Challenges. In M. Valenta, B. Mannová, R. Pergl, A. Przybylek, M. Lang, H. Linger, C. Schneider, N. Iivari, & E. Insfran (Eds.), Making ISD Sustainable: Reloaded with AI and Automation (ISD2026 Proceedings). Prague, Czech Republic: Czech Technical University in Prague. ISBN: 978-80-01-07585-2. https://doi.org/10.62036/ISD.2026.9