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Handbook of Engaged Sustainability pp 1–18Cite as

Utilizing Gamification to Promote Sustainable Practices

Making Sustainability Fun and Rewarding

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Abstract

Gamification is a growing phenomenon, described as one of today’s top disruptive trends in technology. Utilizing traditional game design principles to affect user behavior, gamification is commonly used in many industries, such as marketing, health, and education. This chapter explores the potential of using gamification to motivate individuals to engage in sustainable practices. Prior studies have shown how utilizing gameful design can be a powerful strategy to convert serious real-world problems into engaging and meaningful user experiences. By promoting peer-to-peer education and behavior change through social interactions, gamification can provide a positive solution to implement social change. Analyzing real case examples, Fit for Green, PowerAgent, Greenify, and PowerHouse, this chapter demonstrates how game design can make sustainability both fun and rewarding. Examining companies currently using gamification to promote sustainable practices, findings show that by creating positive peer pressure on sustainability issues, organizations can apply gamification principles to promote meaningful action and motivate users to adopt behavioral changes outside of the game.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA

    Kristen Schiele

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  1. Kristen Schiele
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Correspondence to Kristen Schiele .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, Woodbury University School of Business, Burbank, California, USA

    Joan Marques

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Schiele, K. (2018). Utilizing Gamification to Promote Sustainable Practices. In: Marques, J. (eds) Handbook of Engaged Sustainability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_16-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53121-2_16-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-53121-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-53121-2

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