Gamifying Motivation Theories: Developing a Crossword Puzzle for Management Education

Motivation theories are an important part of management and human resource education, but many students find them difficult to understand and remember when taught through traditional methods. This concept paper introduces the Motivation Theories Crossword Puzzle as a creative gamified learning tool to make these abstract ideas more engaging and easier to learn. The crossword includes key concepts from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, McClelland’s Theory of Needs, and Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. Built on the principles of active learning and gamification, the puzzle encourages student participation, problem-solving, and teamwork. This paper explains the design, educational purpose, and possible classroom applications of the tool. It shows how gamified activities like crosswords can help connect theory with practice, while also improving comprehension and retention. The proposed approach offers educators a practical strategy to make learning motivation theories more interactive and effective.