Fun, Work, and Everything in Between: Validation of the Romanian Version of the Playful Work Design Scale and Longitudinal Measurement Invariance

Abstract As a proactive strategy, playful work design allows employees to use ludic or agonistic play to handle hindrances or monotonous tasks. With the help of fun and competition design, they can even transform those tasks into productive work experiences. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources theory, we analyzed the psychometric properties of the Playful Work Design scale in three studies to adapt and validate the scale for the Romanian population. In the first study, the confirmatory factor analysis results supported the two-factor model. The second study consisted of a longitudinal invariance analysis of the Romanian version of the playful work design scale applied at two different moments and incremental validity analysis beyond other proactive strategies relative to work engagement and performance. The third study found evidence for construct validity (with other constructs that measured playfulness, personal initiative, meaning-making, task complexity, and task monotony) and criterion validity with work-related outcomes (flow at work, engagement, and performance). Altogether, the results demonstrate the validity of the Romanian version of this scale, which can be used in organizations to evaluate playful work design and develop interventions for upgrading employee performance.