Knowledge creation and play A phenomenological study within a multi-professional and multi-organizational community

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for empirically studying knowledge creation (KC) with phenomenological approach and propose that understanding interaction as play conceptualized by Hans-Georg Gadamer allows examining KC starting from the idea of a human being interacting in the events of co-creation. The presented framework is used to examine KC in a community of librarians and teachers collaborating to promote children's joy of reading. Design/methodology/approach - An ethnographic approach is applied to investigate knowledge-creating interaction in a working community. The triangulated data consist of ethnographic observations and video recordings of the community's gatherings, its members' interviews and produced documents. Findings - The phenomenological conceptions of temporality of a human being and play are suitable for understanding being in the knowledge-creating interaction, as they give means to understand the meaningfulness of the past experiences, but promote an open attitude toward the future possibilities in a way which promotes KC. Studying interactive events allows understanding how KC can be examined as a collective accomplishment. The playful mode of being in the event was seen as a way to use the limited time available for interaction effectively. Research limitations/implications - The empirical study was conducted in one community, and further research is needed to test the developed approach in other contexts. Practical implications - The results may be utilized to develop organizational circumstances, which promote KC by acknowledging the meaningfulness of interaction. Originality/value - The study presents a novel way to conceptualize and examine KC as an experience and an event with phenomenological approach.