Technological advancement and the arrival of new generations into the workforce have resulted in major changes in the corporate world. Suddenly old offices crammed with dull, uniform cubicles gave way to open, informal and laid-back spaces filled with bars, playrooms, large sofas and vibrant colours.   Nonetheless, much like the open office and many other trends, the fun-and-games formula, nowadays considered the standard, is far from infallible or universally applicable. If companies want this strategy to succeed, it’s not enough to create workplaces which support their working culture and processes.  They must also recognize that, when fun becomes an obligation, responses can vary as wildly as human beings are diverse: from acceptance and excitement to indifference and discomfort.

A few decades ago, an American psychiatrist named Stuart Brown began a study about the psychological profile of young American murderers. As a result of his investigation, Brown discovered that these individuals had something in common: a life deprived of play.   Thus, he realised that prolonged play deprivation can have devastating consequences on someone’s general well-being and skill development.

The urge to play is inherent to humans —though not exclusive, since many animal behaviours are partly based on play—, and it has been favoured and refined through evolution for over a hundred million years. Play facilitates learning of social, bodily and emotional regulation; it improves empathy and cooperation; it provides experiences which benefit our ability to recover; it decreases stress and develops curiosity and mutual trust.  Play helps to rehearse and improvise behaviours and reactions more effectively, therefore preparing us for the unexpected in an unpredictable environment.

Dutch historian and anthropologist Johan Huizinga had already proposed this view of the importance of play in the early twentieth century.   Huizinga –who claimed our species would be better defined as homo ludens than homo sapiens– suggested that play is an essential component in the development of human culture.

Studies conducted by the University of Gloucestershire indicate that playing is a way of experiencing sensations and emotions —through interaction with our social and physical environment— which gives the player a sense of control.  This affects both the brain’s structural development and genetic expression, and further motivates us to play and seek physical and emotional pleasure in new and flexible ways.

This neuroscientific approach reveals that all types of mammals possess a brain system that allows play.  Play is a powerful source of motivation and gratification which stimulates the brain’s reward centres, which respond by releasing dopamine and oxytocin, two neurotransmitters in charge of mediating pleasurable sensations.

These insights have not gone unnoticed in the corporate world. Companies have begun to see the integration of play areas and recreation into the workplace as a solution to some of the most common issues faced by modern organisations: high levels of stress, a weaker sense of community and loyalty, and constant staff turnover.

What Is Gamification?

The opposite of play is not work — the opposite of play is depression. Stuart Brown.

With a view to transforming work into a positive experience, many companies are currently developing practices and initiatives which aim to improve collaborators’ overall disposition.  One such practice is gamification, defined  as a strategy which introduces elements of play into the workplace in order to improve employees’ emotional state and direct them in the accomplishment of particular goals.

This trend, born in the 1990s as a novelty exclusive to technological and digital-media start-ups, and which aimed to make the young workers of the new generations feel valued, to gain their loyalty and retain them as employees, is now the standard in cutting-edge companies.    Cafeterias, ping-pong and table football, and corporate celebrations and retreats are now must-have features of the modern office.

Gamification can include all types of play, from traditional board games, to outdoor games, role-playing, competitions and even modern videogames.  This stems from the view that human beings are competitive, playful creatures even in adulthood.  The huge popularity of sports is a testament to the basis of this claim.

Consequently, gamification is consolidating its position as an extremely valuable alternative.  So much so that Gartner Consulting estimates that over 50% of organisations interested in innovation will introduce gamification into their business plan in the next few years.

Benefits

As we have seen, play stimulates the reward mechanisms in the brain, generating a sense of gratification and stimulating both learning and the repetition of positive behaviour. For this reason, incorporating a space for play and recreation into the office can result in several benefits.

Trends indicate that, beyond financial retribution, young workers value having fun at work.  In fact, millennial- and post-millennial employees believe fun at the workplace to be a requirement, rather than a bonus.  Hence, companies have begun to accept the need to create a playful, creative working environment if they want to recruit and retain a talented workforce.

With a well-planned and well-managed recreation scheme which takes into account employees’ interests, tastes and differences in gender, age, and so on, playful activities can become a tool to combat stress and increase learning and productivity, as well as reduce absenteeism and improve mental and physical health. Play helps to build trust and improve communication, as well as fostering creativity, participation and a shared culture where all collaborators have the opportunity to meet and interact in an informal environment.

In short, playful activities in the workplace have a positive influence on employees’ performance and can contribute to high levels of commitment.  These activities are key for employee bonding and the development of skills like leadership and communication.

Nevertheless, it must be said that, rather than making work more satisfying and meaningful, play provides a “game layer” which changes the working experience without redesigning the very nature of the work itself.

What Happens When Fun Is Mandatory?

As we have seen, games and recreation in the workplace have a positive impact on staff.  Yet gamification, like other management initiatives, can bring about unwanted results.

According to Johan Huizinga’s outline, play must be voluntary and disconnected from material interest, it must be limited in space and time, and must possess a system of rules.  However, when gamification strategies are implemented in companies, voluntary participation often becomes secondary or goes completely unnoticed.  Even though the goal of playful activities is to improve working conditions, it must be remembered that gamification does not comply with the requirements according to which play must be free, voluntary and disconnected from material interest.

Mollick and Rothbard, in turn, claim that games are usually fun precisely thanks to their elements of spontaneity, surprise and, often, subversion of the existing order of things.  Nonetheless, with gamification, spontaneous activities, such as informal socialising between workers, can become planned management initiatives, like corporate celebrations or retreats, thus giving rise to the introduction of a new notion, that of “mandatory fun.”

In order to figure out the mandatory-fun paradox and understand which play-related initiatives can improve workers’ emotional state and consequently their performance, it’s crucial to obtain their express, voluntary consent; otherwise they will see such initiatives as imposed by management.

A major difference between spontaneous play and gamification is that the former involves games initiated by workers themselves, whereas with the latter, games are imposed vertically from management and are designed to reinforce management goals.

If employees are compelled to participate in a game, competition, tournament, celebration or any other corporate-mandated “fun” activity, responses are bound to be as varied as human beings are diverse: some will accept it, some will ignore it and some will feel uncomfortable or upset.  Therefore, the diversity of the workforce in terms of personality (introverted or extroverted), age, gender, interests, and so on, must not be overlooked.

Conclusions

Play is socially, emotionally, cognitively and physiologically key for many animals, including human beings.

For adults, play can be a creative way of solving problems and releasing emotional tension, as well as stimulating flexibility and the ability to face stressful situations more resourcefully.

Companies which adopt gamification in the workplace do more than satisfy their employees’ physical and psychological needs:  they also improve staff recruitment and retention, increase productivity, reduce absenteeism rates and boast a happier, more relaxed and committed workforce.

While it is true that implementing playful activities to motivate workers improves the working environment and increases productivity, the role of consent as a relevant psychological response must not be overlooked. When participating in the fun becomes a mandatory requirement, employees may feel uncomfortable due to the impossibility of managing their task schedule or choosing how and with whom to spend their free time. Knowing that other options are available is healthier and can reduce reluctant employees’ opposition.

 

SOURCE: FM & WORKPLACES