6533b7dafe1ef96bd126e9bc

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Exploring the experiences concerning leadership communication in online gaming groups

subject

description

This paper looks at leadership communication in the context of multiplayer computer games and the groups that operate within them. In multiplayer games promoting teamwork and long-term cooperation, issues of management and leadership are prevalent. The paper explores the experiences that members of multiplayer communities have towards leadership communication in multiplayer games by looking at one specific case of organized team play within the framework of a turn-based online strategy game. The data utilized in this study consists of themed player interviews conducted via e-mail. The analysis proposes three central dimensions that emerged from the data. These were labeled: 1) the leader as a primus motor, 2) the necessity of authority, and 3) the discourse of leadership as work. At the end of the article, directions for future research are outlined.