Gaming for Meaningful Interactions in Teleworking Lessons Learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic from Integrating Gaming in Virtual Meetings

F. Kleiman*, S.A. Meijer, M.F.W.H.A. Janssen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

The recent need for social-distancing caused by COVID-19 resulted in working remotely, which can cause loneliness and disconnect from the organization. The pandemic stimulated people to look for novel ways to interact and, at the same time, socialize with each other. The change to home office increased the number of people using digital video calls; however, these impose restrictions on social bonding. In this commentary, we argue that the social bonding capacity of video calls can be increased by using games. Playing games can create a common object with shared goals, which can give players the feeling of being in the same environment, belonging to the same organization, working on joint objectives, and give an enjoyable experience. All work activities will unlikely return to the office after the pandemic is over, and preparing for remote working and socialization is needed. We recommend several avenues for research, including researching the concepts of online socialization and evaluating the effectiveness of gaming.
Original languageEnglish
Article number31
Pages (from-to)1-5
JournalDigital Government: Research and Practice
Volume1
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • Digital government
  • public servants
  • meaningful interaction
  • collaboration
  • gaming
  • video call
  • teleconferencing
  • teleworking
  • COVID-19

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