Social ludic activities: a polymorphous form of organizational play

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to seek to contribute to the field of workplace play by introducing the notion of social ludic activities (SLAs) as a specific form of play in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptualization of SLAs is built upon insights from the practice and organizational play literatures.

Findings

SLAs can be deployed not only for productively engaging with work but also as an instrument to resist authority, boycott work or challenge firm contingencies. The particular enactments of SLAs may be influenced by how employees perceive and interpret the organizational climate (i.e. corporate culture, management style, job design and task complexity, and intra-firm interactions) in which they are embedded.

Practical implications

The recognition that emergent forms of play may be conducive to the generation of valuable outcomes without managerial intervention can save managers’ time and efforts required for dealing with potential employees’ resistance. Taking advantage from spontaneous manifestations of play implies understanding the logic of players and creating favorable corporate contexts for the emergence of SLAs rather than attempting to interfere in the natural experiences of flow.

Originality/value

SLAs are conceived as an alternative form of organizational play that is a priori unselfconscious and emergent, inherits autotelic and rational dimensions from prior views of play, draws upon practice insights, and represents the employee perspective.

Citation

Spraggon, M. and Bodolica, V. (2014), "Social ludic activities: a polymorphous form of organizational play", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 29 No. 5, pp. 524-540. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-01-2012-0009