The Concept of Gamification and its Use in Software Companies in the Republic of Macedonia

Gamification represents a relatively new term that has become massively popular in recent years. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the various definitions regarding gamification, to present a unified process of designing a gamified system and to research the use of gamification on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia. Gamification focuses on the internal motivators of employees, which are much more powerful and longer-lasting than the external motivators traditionally used in human resource management. Since this concept relies on video games, data demonstrated makes it clear that they are prevalent in each age group and there is no inclination of one sex over the other. The research done through a questionnaire on SMEs in the IT industry on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia was focused on researching the gamification trends in the country and generally gave positive results regarding the level of use and the readiness of the Macedonian managers for gamification. A high percentage of the companies surveyed are using or are in the process of implementing gamified systems and consider that they could bring a number of benefits. The main disadvantages are the lack of understanding by employees and insufficient technical knowledge. The paper contributes in clarifying the gamification concept and distinguishing it from other similar concepts. From a practical standpoint, the presented process for designing a gamified process can be utilized by companies in the IT industry in the future, regardless of the country of origin.