Gamifying the digital shopping experience : games without monetary participation incentives increase customer satisfaction and loyalty

Bauer, Johannes C.; Linzmajer, Marc; Nagengast, Liane; Rudolph, Thomas; D'Cruz, Elena

doi:10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Gamifying the digital shopping experience : games without monetary participation incentives increase customer satisfaction and loyalty
Authors:	Bauer, Johannes C. Linzmajer, Marc Nagengast, Liane Rudolph, Thomas D'Cruz, Elena
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347
Published in:	Journal of Service Management
Volume(Issue):	31
Issue:	3
Page(s):	563
Pages to:	595
Issue Date:	2020
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Emerald
ISSN:	1757-5818
Language:	English
Subjects:	Consumer behavior; Customer experience; Gamification; Price discount; Retailing
Subject (DDC):	658.8: Marketing management
Abstract:	Purpose: Many marketplace examples suggest that using gamification in the online retail shopping context boosts sales and positively affects customer loyalty. Nevertheless, more research is needed to understand the effects of digital games on consumer behavior and their underlying psychological mechanisms. Therefore, this article explores how combining games and monetary rewards impacts customer satisfaction, loyalty and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. Design/methodology/approach: To test our hypotheses, we designed two online laboratory experiments to stimulate an online shopping situation, as gamification in online retailing has the potential to affect an important set of outcomes for service firms throughout the consumer decision process (Hofacker et al., 2016). Findings: The results of two lab experiments demonstrate that playing a shopping-related game without monetary participation incentive positively influences all three relational outcomes because games enhance consumers' enjoyment of the overall shopping experience. However, our findings also show that monetary rewards used to incentivize game participation diminish these effects. Gamification loses its positive effects if games are combined with monetary rewards, as consumers no longer play games to derive inherent enjoyment, but rather the extrinsic motivation of receiving a discount. We draw managerial implications about how gamification effectively and profitably fosters strong customer relationships and thus increases customer lifetime value and equity. Research limitations/implications: This research is the first to investigate the combined effects of gamification and price discounts that require consumers to play the game in order to receive the discount. Focusing on an online shopping context, this article contributes to research on motivation by providing new and more nuanced insights into the psychological process underlying the gamification effects on consumer' long-term attitudes (i.e. satisfaction) and relational behaviors (i.e. positive WOM and loyalty) toward a retailer. Practical implications: Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for marketers that explain how gamification can be a profitable and efficient tool to foster strong customer relationships. Retail managers should use gamification as a less costly alternative to typical price discounts. Originality/value: Two laboratory experiments investigate how the separate and combined use of games and price discounts affects consumers' satisfaction, positive WOM intentions and loyalty. Playing a shopping-related game increases satisfaction with the retailer and positive WOM intentions as well as loyalty. Monetary rewards used to incentivize game participation eliminate the positive effects of gamification.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/25516
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Management and Law
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Management and Law

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Bauer, J. C., Linzmajer, M., Nagengast, L., Rudolph, T., & D’Cruz, E. (2020). Gamifying the digital shopping experience : games without monetary participation incentives increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Journal of Service Management, 31(3), 563–595. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347

Bauer, J.C. et al. (2020) ‘Gamifying the digital shopping experience : games without monetary participation incentives increase customer satisfaction and loyalty’, Journal of Service Management, 31(3), pp. 563–595. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347.

J. C. Bauer, M. Linzmajer, L. Nagengast, T. Rudolph, and E. D’Cruz, “Gamifying the digital shopping experience : games without monetary participation incentives increase customer satisfaction and loyalty,” Journal of Service Management, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 563–595, 2020, doi: 10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347.

BAUER, Johannes C., Marc LINZMAJER, Liane NAGENGAST, Thomas RUDOLPH und Elena D’CRUZ, 2020. Gamifying the digital shopping experience : games without monetary participation incentives increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Journal of Service Management. 2020. Bd. 31, Nr. 3, S. 563–595. DOI 10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347

Bauer, Johannes C., Marc Linzmajer, Liane Nagengast, Thomas Rudolph, and Elena D’Cruz. 2020. “Gamifying the Digital Shopping Experience : Games without Monetary Participation Incentives Increase Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty.” Journal of Service Management 31 (3): 563–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347.

Bauer, Johannes C., et al. “Gamifying the Digital Shopping Experience : Games without Monetary Participation Incentives Increase Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty.” Journal of Service Management, vol. 31, no. 3, 2020, pp. 563–95, https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2018-0347.