Challenge Design and its Effects on Continuance, Willingness to Engage, and Intrinsic Motivation
Open Access DepositedAlgorithmic Management of Platform Workers Through Gamification
Management is essential not only in standard employment relationships, but also in more modern employment contexts such as gig work. Platform work, or gig work completed through online applications, relies on the application to take on the functions that human management normally completes. The focus of this study was on the gamification element of Quests or challenges as a form of algorithmic management used to motivate and engage platform workers. Recent qualitative studies have brought to light issues and complaints about challenges within platforms, mainly being that they are assigned with no choice or input from the workers and the challenges are perceived as being unachievable or not worth the reward given. This study empirically tested whether challenges designed using Self-Determination Theory as a framework would address the above issues and lead to higher performance, satisfaction, continuance, willingness to engage, and intrinsic motivation. Study 1 provided time data that aided in the design of the challenges, while Study 2 pilot tested the manipulations to ensure the intended psychological and objective outcomes occurred. Results from Study 3 showed that challenge design produced significant differences in performance, satisfaction, willingness to engage, and intrinsic motivation, but not in continuance. Challenge design was indirectly related to willingness to engage and intrinsic motivation through satisfaction with autonomy and competence. These results suggest that challenges designed using Self-Determination theory may increase platform workers willingness to engage and intrinsic motivation through satisfaction with basic psychological needs.
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Boisvert_gwu_0075A_17081.pdf | 2025-07-20 | Open Access |
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