The Impact of Work Gamification on Chinese Employee Creativity: A Moderated Mediation Model

Hui LiuJiachen Gao^*

• Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

As economic and social development continues, the values and behavioral patterns of members within society are undergoing profound transformations, presenting significant challenges to traditional enterprise management models. To enhance employee engagement and improve work efficiency, gamification design has increasingly entered both theoretical discourse and practical application in enterprise management. Grounded in the flow theory framework, this study analyzed survey data collected from 217 Chinese enterprise employees (84 male, 133 female; 83.87% aged 18 to 42) during January-February 2024, employing intrinsic motivation as the mediating variable and the level of acceptance of work gamification as the moderating variable. The findings reveal that: Work gamification significantly enhances employee creativity, with intrinsic motivation playing a pivotal mediating role; The level of acceptance of work gamification moderates the relationship between gamification and intrinsic motivation—specifically, the higher level of acceptance strengthen the positive impact of gamification on intrinsic motivation; The level of acceptance of work gamification further moderates the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation in the relationship between work gamification and creativity. When employee acceptance is high, the indirect effect of gamification on creativity—via enhanced intrinsic motivation—is more pronounced. This research aims to elucidate the mechanism by which workplace gamification design influences employee creativity, addressing urgent management challenges arising from the normalization of remote work and the rapid influx of Generation Z employees. It holds substantial theoretical value and practical significance. The conclusions not only enrich theoretical research on the impact of workplace gamification (e.g., mechanisms like points, task challenges, and virtual rewards) on employee creativity by revealing its influencing mechanisms and exploring boundary conditions, but also provide theoretical guidance and practical insights for enterprises seeking to effectively apply gamification thinking to stimulate employee creativity.