The lived experience of playfulness in the workplace
Date
2022-01-04
Authors
Allan, Jacqueline
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Abstract
Even though playing and playfulness can make us feel happy and joyful, for some adults, it might not feel comfortable to be playful at work, especially if it is not perceived as contributing to productivity. Evidence exists, however, regarding positive outcomes of playfulness in the workplace including openness to new ideas and psychological benefits such as divergent thinking, emotional regulation, strengthening of relationships, enhancement of positive communication skills, and providing resources for dealing with stress (Csikszentmihalyi, 2014; Van Vleet & Feeney, 2015b; West, Hoff, & Carlsson, 2016, 2017). Research on playfulness in the workplace is quite limited and this study was conducted to shed light on this behaviour trait in the context of work. Both interpretive (van Manen, 2014, 2016) and post-intentional (Vagle, 2018) phenomenological analytical frameworks were applied to explore the research question: What is the lived experience of playfulness in the workplace? Through semi-structured interviews eight participants, identified as being particularly playful at work and representing a range of professions, discussed the feelings and attitudes of playfulness at work. During interviews participants described attributes of playfulness as feeling alive, fun, goofy, silly, being light-hearted, and happy. Other playfulness attributes were discussed such as an ecstatic experience, spirit lifting, as a planned strategy for building relationships, a method of welcoming new solutions, and a strategy for overcoming difficult tasks. Data was initially classified into categories and clusters of meanings and these summaries were further consolidated into codes and subcodes. Subsequently, the codes and sub-codes were considered as being continuously interconnected and related, always moving with no clear aspect or reduction to a singular theme or essence. Testimonial evidence emerged that revealed the complexity of this phenomenon and that creating a playful environment at work is not as easy as saying, “Let’s have fun!” Playfulness at work was shown to have interrelated components that are flexible and continuously being produced. The behaviour trait of playfulness in the workplace environment is a unique and complex reality and is relatively unexplored. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding the complex nature of this phenomenon and offers a recognition of the challenges of creating a playful climate at work. By adding to the conversation about possible processes for including playfulness in the work environment, this project illustrates that developing a playful climate at work involves intersecting components and an awareness and consideration of these interrelationships. This exploratory study highlights that there is no precise technique to promote playfulness at work, but that it is a complex and continuously shifting phenomenon potentially generating positive workplace outcomes.
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Keywords
adult playfulness, playfulness at work, workplace playfulness, playfulness, post-intentional phenomenology and playfulness at work