A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Computer games and organization studies




AuthorsVesa Mikko, Hamari Juho, Harviainen Tuomas J, Warmelink Harald

PublisherSage Publications Ltd.

Publication year2016

JournalOrganization Studies

Volume38

Issue2

First page 273

Last page284

Number of pages12

ISSN0170-8406

eISSN1741-3044

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1177/0170840616663242

Web address http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0170840616663242


Abstract

Computer games and organizations are becoming increasingly interwoven in the 21st century. Sophisticated computer games connected by networks are turning into spaces for organizing. Therefore, it may not be surprising that conventional organizations are now scrounging these games for novel ways to enhance efficiency. The result is the formation of game/organization hybrids; uneasy recontextualizations of partly incompatible ideas, values and practices. We begin this essay by elucidating what it is socially that makes something a game by exploring the notion's anthropological foundations. We then introduce two examples of actual game/organization hybrids; raiding in computer games and gamification in formal organizations. We conclude by discussing the implications of such hybridization and suggest venues for how organization and management scholars can benefit from studying computer games and theories of play.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 21:26