Effects of Leaderboards in Games on Consumer Engagement

Gamification is the process of adding games or game-like elements to a non-game task in order to encourage participation and engagement [8]. Gamification, as a means of engaging consumers [6, 10, 16], has become more and more popular and implemented in a range of user-oriented applications. However studies have shown that it may not always have the type of impact as initially projected [12, 13]. Gamification yields different, sometimes contradictory, results with regard to the engagement outcomes. Researchers have argued that gamification is not always properly implemented and may not have consistent positive effects [14], as the reward mechanisms and intensified competition could create a controlling gaming environment that could dampen the intrinsic motivation of the participants [13]. Therefore, it is important for businesses and organizations to be able to gauge the impact of gamified interventions and evaluate return on investment.