We introduce the concept of daily playful work design (PWD) and test the factorial validity of a new instrument to assess PWD. Using trait activation theory, we hypothesize that employees who are more open to experiences and playful will be more engaged and creative in their work on the days they playfully design their work activities. We tested the factorial validity of the instrument and our hypotheses in a sample of 88 employees who answered questionnaires during five consecutive workdays (N = 391 observations). The multilevel analyses yielded evidence for the psychometric quality of the PWD instrument and generally supported the hypotheses. The traits openness and playfulness moderated the relationship of daily PWD behaviors with daily work engagement and creativity.

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doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2019.103850, hdl.handle.net/1765/118698
Journal of Research in Personality
Department of Psychology

Scharp, Y.S. (Yuri S.), Breevaart, K., Bakker, A.B. (Arnold B.), & van der Linden, D. (2019). Daily playful work design: A trait activation perspective. Journal of Research in Personality, 82. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2019.103850