Imagine you’re running late for a meeting, so rather than take the lift, you slide down a fireman’s pole to the second floor. Later, you pass by some interns playing Xbox next to the new Lego play zone. For some employees, a workday like this is not merely wishful thinking, but a reality. Google, Facebook, and other prominent organisations, have embraced the idea that playfulness at work can have a range of benefits. However, on the other hand, there are those who argue that being playful at work is a harmful distraction and a waste of time. In today’s workplace, there is an emphasis on greater productivity and work efficiency. This comes with increased pressure and longer working days. Whilst most of us would like to play and have fun during our work day purely for the sake of enjoyment, can systematic, empirical evidence also support the benefits of playfulness at work? And to take a balanced perspective, what about the potential negative impact of playfulness, and how and when this may occur?

Attendees will gain an understanding of: the definition of playfulness and instruments used to measure it; how and when playfulness can ‘help’ or ‘harm’ at work; COR and similarity-attraction theories; the psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions through which playfulness leads to differential outcomes; and the importance of ‘matched’ supervisor and employee levels of playfulness.

Attendees will also gain knowledge of when and with whom to express high levels of playfulness and will be able to assist managers in finding a balance when implementing and managing workplace play. Attendees can also use this research to influence the implementation of practices and policies surrounding play at work; inform team composition (i.e. pairing high and low playfulness levels); and assist in using play as a tool to attract and retain high-quality employees. Further, since the trait of playfulness remains stable over time, organisations may want to consider this in job placement and design.

Petelczyc, Claire A