I think it truly can, but when the incentive isn't there, people often see no point in it. I resent patronizing gameification where people bolt some nominal gamed system onto a horrible job and call it a day as if it was just a question of perspective. That completely undermines the huge efforts invested into making games engaging.
That said, if you can engender a feeling of competition and make people feel like they're achieving something, I think it can work.
I think skinner boxes like Genshin Impact demonstrate how people can be motivated to go to great lengths for nothing. Just because you don't doesn't mean that the phenomenon is invalid.
Imagine being rewarded for your creativity and hard work.