Paper Information
| Title | Learning the Art of Herding Cats: The Development of Leaders in MMO Groups |
| Presenter(s) | Oskar Milik |
| Session | Cooperative Play |
| Time | Friday, October 12, 10:30a-11:30a |
| Location | Lake Ontario |
| Format | Paper Presentation |
| Description | TPlayers of digital games are increasingly facing the necessity to joining organizations to accomplish tasks. They may feel social ties to others within the group and need to help other team-members in order to pursue goal tasks. As engagement increases, so does the likelihood that the player will become a leader of their organization. Research into leadership in online games indicates that leadership in-game teaches skills useful in out-of-game contexts. Even when they do not wish to engage in leadership roles, obligation to one's organization can cause these players to "step up" and learn these skills.
This project is based on a series of semi-structured interviews with leaders of in-game organizations. Despite the time commitments and extra stress, having to work with people and organizations (described by one as "herding cats") is described as a learning opportunity that helps career advancement or future interviews. |