SPEAKERS:

Dr. Alexander Simons, University of Liechtenstein
Dr. Markus Weinmann, University of Liechtenstein
Dr. Stefan Fleischer, University of Muenster
Isabell Wohlgenannt, University of Liechtenstein

TOPIC: Sid Meier’s Civilization: Can this video game predict job performance?

ABSTRACT:

Civilization is a popular series of turn-based strategy video games. The game is broad, so it confronts players with high complexity. Dealing with this complexity requires good analytical skills (e.g., organization and planning), but in the multiplayer mode, interpersonal skills (e.g., negotiation and communication) are likewise important. These and similar skills are also relevant in the job market, especially for managerial positions, so the question arises whether Civilization can predict business managers' performance. In our lunchtime-seminar presentation we report from an ongoing research project that explores this possibility. We conducted a series of multiplayer games and assessment centers with forty business students to explore the relationship between game performance and job performance. As this is research in progress, we have not yet analyzed the assessment results, but their preliminary evaluation lets us expect promising opportunities. Analysis of the assessment results will allow us to learn more about the participants' analytical and interpersonal skills and how success in the game is related to these skills. The study will improve our understanding whether and how well strategy video games may predict job performance, and accordingly, support personnel evaluation and selection procedures.

https://www.researchgate.net/directory/publications

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Dr. Alexander Simons is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Information Systems in Liechtenstein. His expertise and research interests cover the areas of information management, business process management, and gamification. Alexander received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Information Systems from the University of Muenster, Germany, and his Ph.D. in Business Economics from the University of Liechtenstein. He has played Civilization since the first version from 1991, and his favorite leader in the game is Ramesses II.

Dr. Markus Weinmann is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Liechtenstein. Markus did his Ph.D. at the Braunschweig Institute of Technology. His research largely follows a quantitative-empirical approach and focuses on website design and applied behavioral economics, in particular, decision making, behavior change mechanisms, online choice architecture, and emotion detection. His first video game console was a Sega Master System II.

Dr. Stefan Fleischer is Postdoc at the Department of Information Systems at the University of Muenster. He studied Information Systems in Muenster, and he also did his Ph.D. there. Stefan’s research is mostly design-oriented and focuses on information management in general and conceptual modeling in particular. He has enjoyed playing video games since he can remember and started developing his own games at the age of 12. He has a Civilization V playtime of more than 700 hours and unlocked most achievements in the game.

Isabell Wohlgenannt is Research Assistant and Ph.D. student at the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Liechtenstein. She also conducted her Bachelor’s and Master’s studies in Business Informatics and Business Process Management in Liechtenstein. Isabell’s dissertation deals with enterprise gamification, so she is particularly interested in understanding the business potential of video games and video-game elements. She has been playing video games on different platforms since her childhood, and her favorite genre are action adventure games.