Introduction

Abstract

Nearly 60 years separate these two quotes. The first quote is from Huizinga’s well-known book Homo Ludens (Playing man) in which Huizinga studies play as a social phenomenon. A part of the book goes on to explore ways in which play emerges in various areas of society such as sports, politics and economy and it is here that he describes the way in which financial organizations employ play in the form of competitions and records. The second quotation by Jacqueline Miller is from an article in which she argues in favour of modern organizations’ increased use of play and humour. She describes play as an important resource in modern organizations. There is both continuity and discontinuity between the two quotations. There is continuity in their linking of play and organization. The discontinuity concerns the nature of this link. When Jacqueline Miller encourages organizations to use more play and humour, she is not concerned with competition as is the case in Huizinga, but instead with strengthening creativity, engagement and vitality. This continuity and discontinuity is the theme of this book. It focuses on the relations currently at play between organizations and play and also the significant unfolding of new forms of power.

The statistics of trade and production could not fail to introduce a sporting element into economic life. In consequence, there is now a sporting side to almost every triumph of commerce or technology: the highest turnover, the biggest tonnage, the fastest crossing, the greatest altitude, etc. Here, a purely ludic element, for once, got the better of utilitarian considerations, since the experts inform us that smaller units — less monstrous steamers and aircrafts, etc. — are more efficient in the long run. Business becomes play. This process goes so far that some of the great business concerns deliberately instill the play-spirit into their workers so as to step up production. The trend is now reversed: play becomes business.

(Huizinga 1971 [1936]: 200)

Joyful colors, cartoons, jokes, toys, games and music can help people to reactivate all the intelligence centers of the brain. Getting back to the ‘inner child’ can greatly help to put more joy into life, and especially into work.

(Jacqueline Miller 1997: 255)