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Making workplace fun more functional

Robert C. Ford (Professor of Management at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA)
John W. Newstrom (Professor of Human Resource Management at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA)
Frank S. McLaughlin (Professor of Management at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA)

Industrial and Commercial Training

ISSN: 0019-7858

Article publication date: 1 May 2004

4976

Abstract

Recently, many practitioners, books, articles, and consultants have claimed that a fun work environment is a good thing for organizations to have. These sources assert fun will lead to increased productivity, higher morale, and fewer human resource problems. This paper draws the results of a large e‐mail survey of managers conducted by the authors. The results indicate that there is overwhelming support for having fun in the workplace. These respondents report that having a fun work environment will increase the levels of enthusiasm, satisfaction, creativity, communications among employees and enhanced feelings of group cohesiveness. The respondents reported few significant downside risks. The survey also asked for suggestions as to how to make the work environment more fun. Many responses were received. They were analyzed, cataloged, and evaluated by the authors and discussed in this paper.

Keywords

Citation

Ford, R.C., Newstrom, J.W. and McLaughlin, F.S. (2004), "Making workplace fun more functional", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 36 No. 3, pp. 117-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197850410532131

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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