Communities of Play - a collective unfolding

This paper discusses the role of play in organizations and its ability to create a community of play
regarded as a group of people deeply engaged in play. The elaboration is based on an empirical
study of adults playing in the Danish international toy company LEGO. The study confirms that
play can support organizations in solving present day challenges such as, learning, communication,
innovation and collaboration. But before talking about solving anything, this paper argues -
primarily through the perspective of Gadamer - that it is equally intriguing to look into what play as
a universal life phenomenon independent of age, culture or beliefs does to us at an invisible and
personal level. How it mediates personal and trust-based relationships and unfolds us as human
beings at an individual as well as a collective level and hereby enhances a more meaningful and
personal human encounter. By introducing the new term ‘community of play’ into the discussion of
play amongst adults in organizational contexts, the paper tries to spark an existential inquiry into
the more intangible and human aspects of organizations.