Abstract:

Transilvania University of Brașov (UNITBV) has embraced a participatory management policy that involves students in administrative issues. To facilitate this, UNITBV has organised internal project competitions for students on various topics, either suggested by the institution or proposed by the students themselves. Given their familiarity with campus-related issues, the students can offer practical solutions that meet their expectations. However, the success of this management strategy heavily relies on considering the motivational element. Thus, starting from the 2019 - 2020 academic year, UNITBV launched a large-scale internal project competition called ‘Be Central!’, which derives its name from the institution's official slogan, ‘Learn to be Central!’ The primary objective of this project was to digitise the university processes, in general, and the didactic ones, in particular, by adapting the teaching methods to the challenging context of the pandemic. This initiative has produced multiple positive outcomes and increased productivity by utilising gamification as a macro-management approach, which motivates students and fosters a sense of belonging to the professional community. In this way, both the institution and the students benefit, generating an obvious win-win situation. The university can motivate students to develop projects that solve their problems, save resources, and develop their vocational skills. Simultaneously, the students feel a sense of belonging and satisfaction as they contribute to the institution's growth and their professional development.

Keywords:

Digitisation, student projects, organisational culture, gamification, motivation.