So… Hello!Nice to meet you!

HKU University of the Arts UtrechtDelft University of Technology

In the next ~40 mins…The notion of a playful organization Online gamers’ communities Online gamers’ work organizations

Are online gamers fueling playful organizations?

Gaming’s impact on organizations

Broad interest in serious gaming, games for learning

Gaming as a way of thinking and doing – an attitude: The ‘gaming generation’ or ‘net generation’ The gamification of products and services

Surely playful organizations could emerge – organizations in which work is experienced as play

But… how can we research that?

>> through online gamers!!

About online gamers

Play in ‘guilds’, ‘clans’, ‘communities’ Playful organizations by definition…?

Also work for organizations Looking for playful ones…?

What are characteristics of a playful organization, and to what extent are online gamers’ communities and work organizations playful organizations?

So hop to it!

Playful organization ‘ideal-type’

Based on an understanding of play derived from…

Playful organization ‘ideal-type’

A playful organizational culture:6 values people would implicitly uphold if

employees are to experience their work as play

>> with football (‘soccer’) and Google as central examples

con·tin·gen·cy [kən'tɪndʒənsi]

Contingency

Contingency

a·gil·i·ty [ə'dʒɪlətCi]

Agility

Agility

e·qual·i·ty [ɪ'kwɒləti]

Equality

Equality

teach·a·bil·it·y ['ti:tʃə'bɪlətCi]

Teachability

Teachability

mer·i·toc·ra·cy ['merɪH'tɒkrəsi]

Meritocracy

Meritocracy

con·viv·i·al·i·ty [kən'vɪvi'ælətCi]

Conviviality

Conviviality

That’s all nice, but…And…

Time for empirical research

What are characteristics of a playful organization, and to what extent are online gamers’ communities

and work organizations playful organizations?

Sequential exploratory strategy

Qualitative research >> quantitative research

Virtual-organizational ethnographic research

Yes, it’s me…

Joined a ‘start-up’ corporation

Became a manufacturer, cargo-hauler and trader

Joined ‘Major’, an old, well-known corporation

Then I formed a panel95 Dutch working online gamers

And I used the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument

By Cameron & Quinn

‘Diagnosing and Changing

Organizational Culture’: Based on

the Competing Values Framework

Where online gamers play: playful organizations?

Yes No

Age

Organizational commitment

Time of existence

Competitive rationale

Time of existence+

Where online gamers work: playful organizations?

Yes No

Organizational commitment

Weekly gameplay time

Time of existence

How do the two contexts compare?

Significance of the comparison

Weekly gameplay time

Weekly working time

Diversity in national culture within the community

Organizational commitment to community

So there you have it!The notion of a playful organization Online gamers’ communities Online gamers’ work organizations

Are online gamers fueling playful organizations?

Thank you!harald.warmelink@hku.nlOrder at www.routledge.com

20% discount using code IRK69Or send me an e-mail for a free copy of

the slightly older thesis version of the book