Leaders' Endorsement of Idiosyncratic Workplace Fun, Organizational Playfulness Climate, And Organizational Creativity

Leaders’ Endorsement of Idiosyncratic Workplace Fun, Organizational Playfulness Climate, And Organizational Creativity by Krasimir Karamfilov MFA, American Film Institute Conservatory, 2003 BA/MA, National Academy for Theater and Film Arts, Bulgaria, 1994 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. in Management Walden University November 2018 Abstract Emotionally disconnected employees, about 70% in the U.S., do not experience positive affect at work, are disengaged, and not creative. The purpose of this quantitative quasiexperimental study was to investigate the effects of leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun (independent variable) and organizational playfulness climate (independent variable) on organizational creativity (dependent variable). Complexitybased theoretical perspectives on organizational creativity framed this quantitative study. Data were collected via three survey instruments at two data points from 7 project teams, divided into two experimental groups, at 6 companies in northwestern United States. One group received an intervention for 1 month. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed no significant relationships between leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun and organizational playfulness climate with organizational creativity. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the 2 experimental groups did not differ significantly in terms of their creativity when team leaders endorsed idiosyncratic workplace fun and when project teams worked in an organizational playfulness climate. Bivariate regression analysis and multiple regression analysis showed that leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun and organizational playfulness climate did not predict organizational creativity, neither individually nor collectively. Although the study’s findings cannot be used to affect social change, the examination of the relationships between leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun, organizational playfulness climate, and organizational creativity in the future might yield important insights about the mechanisms facilitating the emergence of organizational creativity at companies.Emotionally disconnected employees, about 70% in the U.S., do not experience positive affect at work, are disengaged, and not creative. The purpose of this quantitative quasiexperimental study was to investigate the effects of leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun (independent variable) and organizational playfulness climate (independent variable) on organizational creativity (dependent variable). Complexitybased theoretical perspectives on organizational creativity framed this quantitative study. Data were collected via three survey instruments at two data points from 7 project teams, divided into two experimental groups, at 6 companies in northwestern United States. One group received an intervention for 1 month. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed no significant relationships between leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun and organizational playfulness climate with organizational creativity. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that the 2 experimental groups did not differ significantly in terms of their creativity when team leaders endorsed idiosyncratic workplace fun and when project teams worked in an organizational playfulness climate. Bivariate regression analysis and multiple regression analysis showed that leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun and organizational playfulness climate did not predict organizational creativity, neither individually nor collectively. Although the study’s findings cannot be used to affect social change, the examination of the relationships between leaders’ endorsement of idiosyncratic workplace fun, organizational playfulness climate, and organizational creativity in the future might yield important insights about the mechanisms facilitating the emergence of organizational creativity at companies. Leaders’ Endorsement of Idiosyncratic Workplace Fun, Organizational Playfulness Climate, And Organizational Creativity by Krasimir Karamfilov MFA, American Film Institute Conservatory, 2003 BA/MA, National Academy for Theater and Film Arts, Bulgaria, 1994 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. in Management Walden University November 2018 Dedication To my mom, Marinka Karamfilova (1950-2018). To my daughter Zoe, the love of my life. To my parents, Marinka and Petyu, who did not get a chance to go to college, but gave me everything, so that I can get that chance. To all playful, creative, and funny people in the world. Acknowledgments This dissertation could not have been completed without the support of a few key people. I thank my dissertation chair, Dr. David Banner, who provided me with invaluable insights and guidance during the dissertation process. I could not have had a more spirited captain in the treacherous waters of dissertation writing and research. I thank my methodological expert, Dr. Steven Tippins, and my University Research Reviewer, Dr. Jean Gordon, for their feedback on the dissertation. Cheers go out to my professors at Walden University, whose instruction paved the way for the successful completion of my doctoral studies. My peers in the doctoral program provided invaluable support and encouragement during the writing of the dissertation, for which I thank them. The doctoral journey has been extremely challenging, with many ups and downs along the way. I thank my life partner, Michelle, and my daughter, Zoe, for believing in my abilities even when I lost faith in myself. The moral and material help I received from my parents played a crucial role in the completion of the doctoral degree. Their constant support and encouragement sustained me during the doctoral program. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.