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Abstract
This dissertation presents a holistic picture of the ways in which sociological factors and manifestations of culture influenced the work of innovating a collection of serious videogames within a business entity, organization, and diverse workforce, collectively referred to as Vision Launch. Empirical evidence was drawn from 22 individual interviews, field notes, internal documentation, photographs, sketches, digital prototypes, PowerPoint presentation slides, emails, and written memos related to the teams process for innovating serious videogames. Facilitated with an ethnographic approach to data collection and a grounded theory approach to data analysis, this study presents Vision Launch as a culture system in which all team members continually engaged in the practices of innovation, learning, and strategic adaptation. Derived from these findings, a grounded theory was proposed, which emphasized the discovery that in systems of innovation, especially those involving serious videogame design and production, the core competencies of the systems human workforce are the abilities to innovate, learn, and adapt within a variety of communicative contexts and situations. Supported by relevant field observations and individual interview data, patterns of activity showed that design (a creative and intuitive process), production (an iterative and transparent process), success (the consistent delivery of high quality games), and sustainability (the prolonged corporate livelihood of the design and production system) were dependent upon dynamic innovation practices that accounted for collaborative interaction among professionally diverse stakeholders; the potential for conflict; the need for critical awareness, tactical negotiation, adaptability, resilience, and effective business acumen; and the vital importance of adhering to a core organizational vision. Vision Launch leaders strategic broadcast of a concrete and relevant vision, embedded within an Agile Scrum approach to production, led to the structured emergence of an exclusive culture system, shared among members of the Vision Launch innovation team.