PhD defence Y.S. (Yuri) Scharp

Summary: Have you ever enjoyed a game of cards? Throughout our lives and even throughout history, play makes its appearance. Every society has its games. Everyone has experienced complete engagement with an exciting game or the thrill of winning a neck-to-neck race. It’s part of being human (homo ludens). Yet, relatively little is known about play during work. Just like play, work is a big part of our lives (homo faber). Can we merge play with work to derive the same experiences (homo ludens faber)? In my dissertation, I conceptualized and construed an instrument to measure the proactive use of play, which I refer to as playful work design. I argued and found that when employees use playful work design, they transform their experiences of work activities. They proactively facilitate experiences of volition, relatedness, and achievement. They are more engaged with work activities, perform better, and find more creative solutions. Colleagues of individuals who use playful work design agree. They consider their playful colleagues to be more engaged, productive, and creative than their less playful counterparts. I also found that the transformative power of playful work design is especially relevant when work lacks stimulation and interpersonal warmth. When employees use playful work design, they are able to sustain their engagement and performance despite these adverse job conditions. Thus, while you may consider play and work to be mutually exclusive, my dissertation suggests there is much to gain from merging them—it pays to play!