Games in Organizations: What Terms Should We Use to talk about Them?

Des jeux dans les organisations: quels mots pour en parler ?

Stéphane Goria () and Philippe Lépinard ()
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Stéphane Goria: Crem - Centre de Recherche sur les Médiations - UL - Université de Lorraine
Philippe Lépinard: IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 - Université Gustave Eiffel

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Abstract: This introductory article clarifies the ever-expanding vocabulary used to describe the spectrum of playful and gameful practices. To do so, the authors structure their discussion around the classic distinction between game (the structure of play) and play (the attitude adopted by players). To decipher this terminology and the processes underlying the design and implementation of playful activities, serious games, and serious gaming, the authors introduce the concept of the "ludogen," defined as an abstract elementary unit that contributes to the very essence of a game. Ludogens are contrasted with "ergogens," components oriented toward performance and production, and complemented by "ludoregens," specific components situated at the interface between ludogens and ergogens whose role is to define, regulate, and sustain the game framework. Through the concepts of ludogens and ergogens, this article sheds light on the porous boundaries between leisure and work, and between playful and work-related practices. Various forms of serious play and game-based activities are presented, including serious games, serious gaming, metagaming, and gamification. For organizations, in its various forms, gaming represents an interesting and practical tool for alternative approaches to teaching, innovation, problem-solving, and even entertainment, provided that its nature, potential, and limitations are properly understood.

Keywords: ludogen; mapping; gaming; classification; serious gaming; serious play; wargaming; wargame; cartographie; pratique ludique; Wargame; Ludification; Jeu sérieux; Ludogène; Ludopédagogie (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-09-07
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Published in Marché et Organisations, 2026, 57 (3), pp.5-31. ⟨10.3917/maorg.057.0005⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05741550

DOI: 10.3917/maorg.057.0005

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