Desperately Seeking the Artefacts and the Foundations of Native Theory in Gamification Research: Why Information Systems Researchers Can Play a Legitimate Role in this Discourse and How They Can Better Contribute

European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS), vol. 29(6) pp. 609–620

76 Pages Posted: 16 Dec 2020 Last revised: 30 Dec 2020

See all articles by Paul Benjamin Lowry

Paul Benjamin Lowry

Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business

Stacie Petter

Independent

J. M. Leimeister

University of St. Gallen; University of Kassel - Information Systems

Date Written: December 31, 2020

Abstract

Gamification has taken the world by storm. Regardless of where one stands on gamification, it can aptly be described as interesting but also galvanising and controversial. We are pleased to write a provocative editorial to kick off this special issue on gamification in the European Journal of Information Systems. Our position is that the information systems (IS) discipline has the opportunity to play an outsized role in navigating the discourse of gamification—an increasingly influential, interdisciplinary discourse in research and practice. We assert that active engagement in the gamification discourse is a compelling IS research opportunity, given the growing, globalised platform-based economy. Consequently, we frame our editorial with the knowledge we have gained as IS researchers who engage in gamification research in an effort to share what we have learned about artefacts and original theorisation with both IS and gamification scholars. We do so by proposing a pragmatic path forward for gamification and IS researchers who wish to contribute to these related discourses, both individually and in the form of the combined IS–gamification discourse. We propose a framework of three practices that we are confident can more systematically generate the key theoretical artefacts needed to generate native theory in the IS–gamification discourse and hence to improve the associated research and practice. Foundational to this framework is our paradigm, which advocates active engagement with IS–gamification research and practice, as bridged by a strong focus on design thinking and generating artefacts that are foundational to theory generation.

Keywords: Gamification; information systems (IS); discourse; discursive thinking; IS–gamification discourse; artefacts of theory; gamification artefact; theory building; native theory; taxonomies; constructs

Suggested Citation

Lowry, Paul Benjamin and Petter, Stacie and Leimeister, Jan Marco, Desperately Seeking the Artefacts and the Foundations of Native Theory in Gamification Research: Why Information Systems Researchers Can Play a Legitimate Role in this Discourse and How They Can Better Contribute (December 31, 2020). European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS), vol. 29(6) pp. 609–620, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3715004

Paul Benjamin Lowry (Contact Author)

Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business ( email )

1016 Pamplin Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
United States

Stacie Petter

Independent ( email )

Jan Marco Leimeister

University of St. Gallen ( email )

Varnbuelstr. 14
Saint Gallen, St. Gallen CH-9000
Switzerland

University of Kassel - Information Systems ( email )

Pfannkuchstraße 1
Kassel, 34121
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
39
Abstract Views
440
PlumX Metrics