Introduction
Gamification can be discussed as a modern tendency and an actively used strategy in the sphere of corporate training and learning that is oriented to make the process of obtaining the new knowledge more attractive and interesting for the learner. According to the definition presented in the article by Conway, gamification is “the use of game-like features in non-game contexts” (Conway, 2014, p. 129).
The example of a game oriented to improving the compliance training in corporate environments is True Office: Insider Trading that is widely used in different companies in the United States and abroad (Donovan, 2012, p. 20).
Thus, gamification related to the corporate training and learning can be discussed as a process advantageous for organizations because learners receive the opportunity to obtain the new knowledge through the experience in a timely and effective manner; employees become involved in the process because they can compete and win rewards; and employees can learn more material because of perceiving the process of learning as the entertainment.
Gamification in Corporate Training and Learning
Those games that are applied in the financial sector organizations can be analyzed and evaluated with references to “Design Document” proposed by Kapp in his work in order to understand what features of corporate games work to achieve the higher results in learning (Kapp, 2012, p. 205).
True Office: Insider Trading is a game that is usually selected by companies from the financial sector to train the employees regarding the compliance standards. From this point, the concept of the game is to propose the near real-life environment for employees who need to learn and apply the information on insider trading to the situation observed in the office of the RXG Capital bank.
Thus, the outcome of the game is that professionals in the financial sector will successfully use the knowledge on insider trading policies in their everyday practice.
In this context, at the end of the game, the learners will be able to choose policies relevant to the concrete situation and apply their knowledge on policies directly to the cases (Donovan, 2012, p. 20). Employees will also learn how to cooperate in the office in order to overcome the problem of insider trading and predict it in the future.
True Office: Insider Trading has all features typical for the traditional computer and online games, that is why, the learner is able to control the choices and actions of the character and interact with other female and male characters of employees working in the bank.
Thus, the game environment is associated with the near real-life office settings. The case of the insider trading is discussed in the offices of the RXG Capital bank, and the player operates only within this office while interacting with the other characters in their offices and conference rooms.
While describing the content of the game, it is important to state that a player learns that the RXG Capital bank faced the problem of insider trading, and the player’s task is to resolve this issue basing on the associated policies and the organization’s compliance documentation (Donovan, 2012, p. 20).
The reward structure used in the game is remarkable because employers have the opportunity to control the progress of employees and reward them with the help of online or real-life bonuses. Furthermore, the atmosphere of competition is also supported in the game because learners can monitor the progress of their competitors in resolving the problem.
The characters of the game look like animated employees in the fictional office that has all the features of the real-life office. The used colors are bright and attracting the attention of the learners.
The principles of interaction between co-workers and hierarchy are also addressed in the game. True Office: Insider Trading is developed in order to be actively used in any company, therefore, the game is usually provided as an application for tablets and smartphones using iOS and Android platforms.
The Effectiveness of the Game in Achieving the Outcomes and Objectives
True Office: Insider Trading can be discussed as an effective tool for training employees regarding the use of compliance policies because the game is appropriately structured to provide the learner with the necessary information on policies and with facts important to choose the most appropriate solution to the problem of insider trading in the organization.
As a result of the game, professionals working in the financial sector can successfully use the knowledge on the compliance standards and insider trading policies in their everyday working environments. Having participated in the game, employees become able to make appropriate decisions on compliance issues and predict the development of the problem of insider trading in their future practice.
Applications of the Game
The organizations in the financial sector apply True Office: Insider Trading when they need to make the process of compliance training and learning of the aspects of insider trading more active and quicker. As a result, the game is applied as a part of training sessions during which several employees can participate in the game simultaneously, having the opportunity to compare their results and achievements.
In addition, the manager responsible for training in the area of compliance can also monitor the progress of the employees and reward them using the virtual tools as well as real-life bonuses at the end of the training session.
Advantages or Disadvantages of Using the Game
True Office: Insider Trading has the reputation in the sphere of online corporate training, and the obvious advantages of the game include the focus on the real-life examples and situations; the use of the effective game’s structure and content; the possibility to modify the content according to the needs of the organization; the possibility to use it in any environment because it is presented as an application for tablets and smartphones; the possibility to avoid the long-time and boring training sessions; the possibility to receive the immediate feedback on mistakes; and the possibility to achieve the quantifiable results as the increases in the percentage related to the effective use of the company’s compliance policies (Conway, 2014, p. 130).
However, there are also disadvantages associated with the use of the game. They are connected with the fact that not all insider trading policies and programs can be covered with the application, depending on the proposed cases and situations. Furthermore, the possibilities for the customization in the game are limited, and this aspect needs further improvements to make the game more interesting, and as a result, effective.
Knowledge Gained about Gamification
The analysis of the game that can be used in the corporate training and learning environment is an important source of knowledge regarding the idea of gamification. It is possible to state now that gamification contributes to the employees’ active learning and quick development of necessary skills.
Moreover, those learners who participate in the game demonstrate more motivation regarding the learning of new information on compliance than those employees who are trained with the focus on traditional methods. In addition, the users of games state that they feel more confident while playing than while answering the trainer’s questions (Bozarth, 2010, p. 24).
Thus, the level of stress is reduced, and the interest and activeness of the employees increase (Bedwell, 2010, p. 240). From this point, while applying the strategies with game-like features in corporate training and learning, managers can achieve the increases in the effectiveness of the process and the overall improvement of outcomes.
Recommendations on the Game’s Usage
Trainers can benefit while using this game not for the basic training on compliance policies and the aspects of insider trading, but for the second stage of training sessions when the quality of learning and obtained skills are assessed.
In spite of the fact that the game is developed to reduce the time spending for theoretical training sessions, the manager or trainer should decide independently on the appropriateness of this game to cover all the aspects of compliance policies adopted in the organization (Azadegan & Riedel, 2012, p. 485).
The game is also effective to be used as the entry training for new employees, and it can be supported with the further provision of documentation summaries, if employees demonstrate low results while using the game.
Conclusion
Gamification is actively used today in the area of corporate training because this approach leads to high results, and it is associated with the employees’ increased motivation to acquire the new knowledge.
In this context, such games as True Office: Insider Trading can be discussed as effective to be used in the organizational environment in order to train employees on such problematic issues as the aspects of compliance programs and insider trading. Thus, gamification provides learners with the opportunity to become naturally interested in the process of learning and demonstrate high results.
References
Azadegan, A., & Riedel, J. (2012). Serious games integration in companies: A research and application framework. The IEEE Computer Society, 12(1), 485-487.
Bedwell, W. L. (2010). Computer-based training: Capitalizing on lessons learned. International Journal of Training & Development, 14(3), 239-249.
Bozarth, J. (2010). Social media for trainers: Techniques for enhancing and extending learning. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Conway, S. (2014). Zombification?: Gamification, motivation, and the user. Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, 6(2), 129-141.
Donovan, L. (2012). The use of serious games in the corporate sector: A state of the art report.
Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.