Designing a Gamified Artefact for Training Creativity as an Entrepreneurial Competency in Higher Education: A Design Science Research Approach

This thesis aims to advance understanding of how creativity can be effectively trained as a core entrepreneurial competency within entrepreneurship education and training. Acknowledging the increasing emphasis on developing entrepreneurial mindsets in higher education and in society, this research addresses the persistent challenge of fostering creativity through structured pedagogical methods and artefact-based learning experiences. To this end, the study applies the Design Science Research (DSR) framework to design, develop, and evaluate an artefact—a physical board game—that operationalises creativity training within the idea-generation process. The artefact integrates principles from experiential learning, gamification, and the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) approach to provide a structured yet engaging environment for entrepreneurship students, potential entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs. The research adopts a multi-phase, iterative design approach that incorporates a literature review, expert consultation, and empirical validation, producing new and rich knowledge that is fruitful for creating the conditions to tackle the design science process. Based on existing and produced knowledge, the artefact is designed to simulate realistic entrepreneurial challenges, enabling participants to apply creativity in collaborative and problem-solving contexts, fostering and enhancing creativity as an entrepreneurial competency. The outcomes of this research contribute both theoretically and practically to the field of entrepreneurship education. Theoretically, it expands the discourse on creativity as a trainable entrepreneurial competency and demonstrates the application of Design Science Research in entrepreneurship, specifically in entrepreneurship education and training. Practically, it provides educators with a tested artefact and a replicable framework for integrating creativity training into entrepreneurship courses through game-based learning.