Fun at work, job engagement, and burnout: a meta-analysis and narrative synthesis

Objective

Fun, play, and humour are accepted as integral to understanding how individuals cope with adversity at work and thrive within an organization. Far from being merely about entertainment, Fun at Work embodies strategic elements via social bonding, essential for bolstering employee well-being, fostering engagement, and enhancing productivity. However, no previous systematic review has been published on the available evidence examining the links between fun at work, work engagement, and burnout.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted to identify eligible studies reporting on the relationship between fun at work and work engagement or burnout. A random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis whereas a constant comparative approach was employed for the development of the narrative synthesis.

Results

The results of the meta-analysis showed a substantial overlap between work engagement and fun at work and a smaller overlap with emotional exhaustion. The relationship between fun at work and work engagement was stronger in non-western/non-westernized countries and studies with samples including a higher proportion of men. The narrative review led to the proposition of two primary and bidirectional categories that capture the essence of workplace fun: Organization-Driven Fun and Employee-Driven Fun, providing the basis for a new conceptual approach to fun at work.

Conclusions

The proposed framework provides clear paths to future research directions and posits interesting theoretical questions concerning the role of fun as a resource/demand and challenge/hindrance in the Job-Demands Resources model.