Doing Sustainability Begins with Being Sustainable: Five Learning Principles for Inclusive Gamification

Abstract

In this chapter we examine the practice of gamification, which uses principles of play, game and game design to induce desired behavioral outcomes. Like many CCI practices, Gamification can be used to deal with sustainability challenges. But this is complicated by gamification’s positioning as an interventionist, means-ends design practice to generate e.g., motivation, learning, innovation, or efficiency. This leaves gamification underprepared to deal with questions of diversity, marginalization, and inclusion; topics driven by e.g., gender, racism, disability, or geographical exposure. There is a need to examine how gamification can through better governance cater to the needs of these stakeholders. Drawing on feminist and critical management research, we propose that sustainability in gamification can be improved by learning five key governance principles of inclusion: diversity of gamification teams, inclusive communication, creation of safer spaces, accessibility, and questioning the norms and goals of gamification. Our key argument is, that in order for gamification to facilitate sustainable behaviour, gamification itself must first be set up sustainably.