Pilipinas, Game Ka Na Ba: Exploring Employee Responses to Gamified Systems through the Communication Accommodation Theory

Abstract

Gamified systems involve the integration of game-based elements and mechanics like rewards, teams, challenges, and leaderboards into core organizational processes like onboarding, management, and learning and development (L&D). It has been widely used by companies across the globe to advance productive goals and achieve organizational objectives, but its effectiveness remains a debatable topic. An exploratory qualitative multiple case study design grounded in the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) was employed to explore the design and implementation of gamified systems in two Philippine-based companies, along with how employees respond to them using linguistic accommodation and non-accommodation strategies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants from a brokerage firm and a pharmaceutical company located in Quezon City, which were analyzed using the Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed that the gamified systems were designed to encourage compliance, reduce work pressure, and foster social bonding through tangible rewards, public recognition, and event-based participation. Meanwhile, linguistic strategies such as positive and negative framing, adopting gamification-related language, and hedging offered meaningful insights into the effectiveness of these systems in fostering excitement, motivation, collaboration, frustration, and emotional detachment among employees. Unlike previous gamification studies in the Philippines that primarily relied on behavioral science concepts and focused on remote work settings, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this research is the first to use a communication theory to explore gamification within corporate settings in the Philippines and involve Filipino employees in non-remote work settings.