Determinants of gamification effectiveness: perspectives of technology affordances and coping responses in the context of team-based gamified training

Firms face significant challenges in effectively training employees in adopting complex information systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP). Gamified training has emerged as a promising means to address these challenges. Despite this, prior research has paid little attention to the factors affecting the effective use of gamified training. This study aims to identify the determinants of the effective use of gamified training. Based on technology affordances, coping, and gamification literature, the study proposes that team-based gamification affordances (e.g. collaboration and competition affordances) affect coping responses (e.g. task-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping), leading to effective use. We utilized the ERP simulation game to empirically test the research model, employing a multi-study approach comprising two studies (Study 1 = 255 participants, Study 2 = 219 participants). Structural equation modelling was used for data analysis. Our results indicate that collaboration affordance significantly affects task-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping. However, competition affordance influenced only task-focused coping. We also found that task-focused and emotion-focused coping affected effective use. This study contributes to IS literature by highlighting gamification affordances and coping responses as important predictors of effective use in gamified training, leading organizations and IS scholars to design impactful and engaging gamified training programmes.