IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v34y2025i1p1510-1549.html

Gamification for sustainable consumption: A state‐of‐the‐art overview and future agenda

Author

Listed:
  • Weng Marc Lim
  • Manish Das
  • Wamika Sharma
  • Aastha Verma
  • Rajeev Kumra

Abstract

Unsustainable consumption is a pressing issue requiring innovative solutions. Gamification is a promising approach with the potential to drive a shift toward sustainable consumption. This study delivers a state‐of‐the‐art overview of gamification as a strategy for sustainable consumption, shedding light on its role at the intersection of environmental sustainability, sustainability education, sustainable behavioral changes, sustainable living, sustainable tourism, and workplace sustainability, underscoring that sustainable consumption (e.g., energy) is not only personal but also professional. This study also offers a rich organizer of antecedents (game mechanics, incentives and mechanisms, social dynamics, sustainability focus, and user experience), mediators and moderators (psychographic and socio‐cultural), controls (demographic and contextual), and outcomes (behavioral changes, consumption patterns, and psychographic shifts), alongside relevant theories and methods, to provide a finer‐grained, toolbox‐like understanding of gamification for sustainable consumption. This study concludes with avenues for future research to drive new frontiers where gamification can contribute to sustainable consumption, and by extension, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production.

Suggested Citation

  • Weng Marc Lim & Manish Das & Wamika Sharma & Aastha Verma & Rajeev Kumra, 2025. "Gamification for sustainable consumption: A state‐of‐the‐art overview and future agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 1510-1549, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:34:y:2025:i:1:p:1510-1549
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.4021
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.4021
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.4021?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Donthu, Naveen & Kumar, Satish & Mukherjee, Debmalya & Pandey, Nitesh & Lim, Weng Marc, 2021. "How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 285-296.
    2. Mukherjee, Debmalya & Kumar, Satish & Mukherjee, Deepraj & Goyal, Kirti, 2022. "Mapping five decades of international business and management research on India: A bibliometric analysis and future directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 864-891.
    3. Snyder, Hannah, 2019. "Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 333-339.
    4. David M. Evans & Alison L. Browne & Ilse A. Gortemaker, 2020. "Environmental leapfrogging and everyday climate cultures: sustainable water consumption in the Global South," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 83-97, November.
    5. Paul, Justin & Criado, Alex Rialp, 2020. "The art of writing literature review: What do we know and what do we need to know?," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(4).
    6. Xi, Nannan & Hamari, Juho, 2019. "Does gamification satisfy needs? A study on the relationship between gamification features and intrinsic need satisfaction," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 210-221.
    7. Paul, Justin & Parthasarathy, Sundar & Gupta, Parul, 2017. "Exporting challenges of SMEs: A review and future research agenda," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 327-342.
    8. Das, Manish & Saha, Victor & Jebarajakirthy, Charles & Kalai, Anjana & Debnath, Nirmalya, 2022. "Cultural consequences of brands' masstige: An emerging market perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 338-353.
    9. Koivisto, Jonna & Hamari, Juho, 2019. "The rise of motivational information systems: A review of gamification research," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 191-210.
    10. Satish Kumar & Weng Marc Lim & Uthayasankar Sivarajah & Jaspreet Kaur, 2023. "Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Integration in Business: Trends from a Bibliometric-Content Analysis," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 871-896, April.
    11. Darina Vorobeva & Ian J. Scott & Tiago Oliveira & Miguel Neto, 2023. "Leveraging technology for waste sustainability: understanding the adoption of a new waste management system," Post-Print hal-05499605, HAL.
    12. Lim, Weng Marc & Yap, Sheau-Fen & Makkar, Marian, 2021. "Home sharing in marketing and tourism at a tipping point: What do we know, how do we know, and where should we be heading?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 534-566.
    13. Justin Paul & Gabriel R. G. Benito, 2018. "A review of research on outward foreign direct investment from emerging countries, including China: what do we know, how do we know and where should we be heading?," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 90-115, January.
    14. Lim, Weng Marc & Rasul, Tareq, 2022. "Customer engagement and social media: Revisiting the past to inform the future," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 325-342.
    15. Lim, Weng Marc & Rasul, Tareq & Kumar, Satish & Ala, Mamun, 2022. "Past, present, and future of customer engagement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 439-458.
    16. Ștefan Boncu & Octav-Sorin Candel & Nicoleta Laura Popa, 2022. "Gameful Green: A Systematic Review on the Use of Serious Computer Games and Gamified Mobile Apps to Foster Pro-Environmental Information, Attitudes and Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-22, August.
    17. Sungjin Park & Sangkyun Kim, 2021. "Is Sustainable Online Learning Possible with Gamification?—The Effect of Gamified Online Learning on Student Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-12, April.
    18. Mulcahy, Rory & Russell-Bennett, Rebekah & Iacobucci, Dawn, 2020. "Designing gamified apps for sustainable consumption: A field study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 377-387.
    19. M. Cavada & C. D. F. Rogers, 2020. "Serious gaming as a means of facilitating truly smart cities: a narrative review," Behaviour and Information Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(6), pages 695-710, June.
    20. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    21. Datu Buyung Agusdinata & Heide Lukosch & Muhammad Hanif & David Watkins, 2023. "A Playful Approach to Household Sustainability: Results From a Pilot Study on Resource Consumption," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 54(1), pages 104-130, February.
    22. Sascha Kraus & Matthias Breier & Weng Marc Lim & Marina Dabić & Satish Kumar & Dominik Kanbach & Debmalya Mukherjee & Vincenzo Corvello & Juan Piñeiro-Chousa & Eric Liguori & Daniel Palacios-Marqués &, 2022. "Literature reviews as independent studies: guidelines for academic practice," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(8), pages 2577-2595, November.
    23. Azmat, Fara & Lim, Weng Marc & Moyeen, Abdul & Voola, Ranjit & Gupta, Girish, 2023. "Convergence of business, innovation, and sustainability at the tipping point of the sustainable development goals," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    24. Lim, Weng Marc & Kumar, Satish & Donthu, Naveen, 2024. "How to combine and clean bibliometric data and use bibliometric tools synergistically: Guidelines using metaverse research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    25. Sonja Maria Geiger & Daniel Fischer & Ulf Schrader, 2018. "Measuring What Matters in Sustainable Consumption: An Integrative Framework for the Selection of Relevant Behaviors," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 18-33, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Richard Yeaw Chong Seow, 2026. "Navigating the Convergence of SDGs and ESG: Insights from a Systematic Literature Review," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 38(2), pages 289-324, April.
    2. Kautish, Pradeep & Lim, Weng Marc & Joshi, Nisarg, 2025. "Awe-inspired experience in the metaverse: A multi-study investigation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. Muaadh Mukred & Umi Asma’ Mokhtar & Burkan Hawash & Hussain AlSalman & Muhammad Zohaib & Yousef Ibrahim Abuzawayda, 2025. "Exploring the Potential of Metaverse Adoption in Higher Education: A Diffusion of Innovation Model Approach to Enhancing Student Engagement," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, September.
    4. Lan, Xiaomeng & Song, Baobao, 2025. "The more, the merrier? Investigating the distinct and interaction effects of gamification mechanics in corporate sustainability engagement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sharma, Wamika & Lim, Weng Marc & Kumar, Satish & Verma, Aastha & Kumra, Rajeev, 2024. "Game on! A state-of-the-art overview of doing business with gamification," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    2. Areeba Khan & Saboohi Nasim, 2025. "Mapping research on the subjective well-being of knowledge workers: a systematic enquiry deploying bibliometrics," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 911-954, February.
    3. Khlystova, Olena & Kalyuzhnova, Yelena & Belitski, Maksim, 2022. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the creative industries: A literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1192-1210.
    4. Akturan, Ulun & Kuter, Deniz & Gökkut, B. Selin, 2025. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most convincing of them all? A systematic literature review on packaging," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    5. Ashik, Farhan & Marc Lim, Weng & Vassallo, Jarrod P. & Voola, Ranjit, 2025. "Can marketing reduce inequality? Evidence from marketing science," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    6. Philipp C. Sauer & Stefan Seuring, 2023. "How to conduct systematic literature reviews in management research: a guide in 6 steps and 14 decisions," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 1899-1933, July.
    7. Kingsley Hung Khai Yeo & Weng Marc Lim & Kwang-Jing Yii, 2024. "Financial planning behaviour: a systematic literature review and new theory development," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(3), pages 979-1001, September.
    8. Lim, Weng Marc & Rasul, Tareq, 2022. "Customer engagement and social media: Revisiting the past to inform the future," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 325-342.
    9. Elena Francke, Anna & Carrete, Lorena, 2023. "Consumer self-regulation: Looking back to look forward. A systematic literature review," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    10. Andrea Pavón-Guinea & Mónica Codina, 2024. "Public diplomacy: a framework-based literature review and decentering research agenda," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 255-274, September.
    11. Shreya Mishra & Ajoy K. Dey, 2023. "Expectation of the Editors’ from Hybrid Review Studies: Focus on Contribution," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 12(3), pages 243-252, December.
    12. Wan Kei Tham & Weng Marc Lim & Julian Vieceli, 2023. "Foundations of consumption and production in the sharing economy," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 2979-3002, December.
    13. Singh, Anjali & Lim, Weng Marc & Jha, Sumi & Kumar, Satish & Ciasullo, Maria Vincenza, 2023. "The state of the art of strategic leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    14. Richard Yeaw Chong Seow, 2026. "Navigating the Convergence of SDGs and ESG: Insights from a Systematic Literature Review," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 38(2), pages 289-324, April.
    15. Satish Kumar & Weng Marc Lim & Riya Sureka & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Umesh Bamel, 2024. "Balanced scorecard: trends, developments, and future directions," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(8), pages 2397-2439, August.
    16. Bindra, Sunali & Sharma, Deepika & Parameswar, Nakul & Dhir, Sanjay & Paul, Justin, 2022. "Bandwagon effect revisited: A systematic review to develop future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 305-317.
    17. Pomerlyan, Evgeniya & Belitski, Maksim, 2023. "Integration - Growth relationship: A literature review and future research agenda using a TCCM approach," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1106-1118.
    18. Ishani Patharia Chopra & Charles Jebarajakirthy & Tanu Jain & Haroon Iqbal Maseeh, 2024. "Electronic shopping cart abandonment: What do we know and where should we be heading?," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 34(1), pages 1-30, December.
    19. Lan, Xiaomeng & Song, Baobao, 2025. "The more, the merrier? Investigating the distinct and interaction effects of gamification mechanics in corporate sustainability engagement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    20. Mariasole Bannò & Emilia Filippi, 2024. "Women in top echelon positions and firm internationalisation strategies: What do we know? How do we know? Where should we be heading?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 28(4), pages 1257-1302, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:34:y:2025:i:1:p:1510-1549. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.