Abstract
Numerous organizations have embarked on playful endeavors such as serious gaming (playing games with a learning/training purpose) and 'gamification' (applying game technology and principles to make existing practices more game-like). One could consequently theorize about the dawn of playful organizations, i.e. a type of organization that is culturally and structurally playful. This article offers a first step towards a playful organization theory. It specifically offers a conceptual framework of a playful organizational culture. Following a review of play theory as well as organization and management theory that was inspired by play, the author describes a playful organizational culture as encompassing contingency, opportunism, equivalence, instructiveness, meritocracy and conviviality as values. The framework offers leaders, managers and game/play designers opportunities to further develop playful endeavors for organizations. It also offers social scientists opportunities to further research the emergence and issues of playful organizations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | DiGRA '11 - Proceedings of the 2011 DiGRA international conference: Think Design Play |
| Volume | 6 |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Conceptual framework
- Organization
- Organizational culture
- Play theory
- Playfulness