Evaluating Applicant Reactions to a Gamified Assessment of Personal Values: Developing and Testing a Theoretical Model

Blandin, De Chalain Megan

Evaluating Applicant Reactions to a Gamified Assessment of Personal Values: Developing and Testing a Theoretical Model

Doctoral Thesis

2022

Abstract

To address the limitations of traditional rating-scale assessment methods of psychological constructs in human resource management, game-based assessments and the gamification of existing pre-employment assessments have recently emerged as promising directions for applied measurement. Gamification, the process of applying gaming principles to non-game contexts, is being used increasingly in personnel selection and pre-employment assessments. However, scientific research is limited on the important questions of how job applicants react to these assessments and how these reactions develop. The present study developed and tested a theory of applicant reactions to a gamified pre-employment assessment of personal values. Given the novelty of gamified assessments, the elements of gamified assessments were first deconstructed using a modular framework of assessment types—a process that explained how these assessments differ from traditional inventory-based assessments. Next, drawing on theories of work gamification and applicant perceptions, a theoretical model of applicant reactions (composite of the subscales anxiety and perceived fairness) in the gamification context incorporating applicants' enjoyment, cognitive processing and perceived organisational attractiveness was developed. To test the model, an experimental design was used. Subjects (N = 159) were asked to complete either a gamified values assessment (n = 78) or a traditional values assessment (n = 81) followed by a measure of applicant reactions. Results of the data analysis showed that the use of a gamified assessment led to more favourable perceptions of the organisation than the traditional assessment. Moreover, levels of engagement and enjoyment were significantly more favourable when using a gamified assessment than a traditional assessment. Enhanced applicant reactions were found to elicit more favourable perceptions of the organisation, higher enjoyment and higher engagement. However, overall applicant reactions APPLICANT REACTIONS TO GAMIFIED ASSESSMENTS iv (low anxiety and favourable perceived fairness combined) across different test types (gamified versus traditional) elicited a non-significant relationship. Results suggested that gamified assessments are likely to heighten perceived organisational attractiveness through being a more enjoyable and engaging experience, but further research is needed to support the present study outcomes. The present study results can aid organisations in making more informed decisions about the use of gamified pre-employment assessments and provide empirical evidence regarding the applicant reactions and subsequent behavioural outcomes for both a traditional and a gamified values assessment. Furthermore, results contribute to gamification theory by developing a model from identified differences between modern tests and traditional tests that can be used to investigate applicant reactions and subsequent behavioural outcomes.

Keywords

Management Studies

Reference:

Collections

PhD / Doctoral

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