Playing at work: the role of work-based leisure in 1990s businesses

Abstract

This thesis investigates the role of leisure in modern businesses. Sixty-eight completed surveys were analysed from a random sample of 150 Wellington businesses. The study found that most businesses supported some type of leisure provision, with social options being more popular than either sport or recreation. A review of current literature validated the two most common rationale given by human resource managers to justify involvement in provision of leisure: to improve the relations between the people in the organisation; and to improve the health and well-being of staff. While ad hoc decision making and a lack of formal policies confirmed the role of leisure as a perk or an extra-curricular luxury set at a tangent to core business, it is argued that the introduction of policies would mitigate possible sources of employee alienation, and reduce the potential for squandering resources. Decision making in the area of leisure provision is dominated by authoritative and paternalistic management styles which are typical of general business practice, but are contrary to the consensus in current literature that advocates empowered employees. This discrepancy is explained in terms of an imbalance in employer-employee power relations. The role of work-based leisure as a strategic tool designed to reduce conflict in that relationship, however, is limited. Instead, when work-based leisure is viewed as a perk or extra-curricular luxury, it maintains the aspects of 'free choice' and 'pleasure for participants' that are inherent in the definition of leisure.