Gamification and social dynamics behind corporate cycling campaigns

The promotion of cycling is of great importance for fostering sustainable and healthy modes of transport in urban areas. For this reason, many cities around the world organize biking competitions in order to motivate citizens to commute by bike. The success of such campaigns appears to demonstrate the positive effects of using playful settings for encouraging a specific type of behavior; however, the actual determinants of behavior changes have yet to be thoroughly investigated. This paper presents the results of an experimental bike commuting challenge among 14 companies, which has been conducted in Boston, MA. This six week study involved 239 participants using a socially influencing system for reporting commutes and displaying the rankings. The results revealed a variety of different motivation strategies developed by the companies. Social dynamics (motivating others or being motivated by others) had a very strong effect on the participants, suggesting that emotional aspects (team spirit, fun) have higher potential than more rational factors like health or environment. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of mobil.TUM 2016.