Military Contractors: Work vs. Play - Research Paper Example

Military Contractors: Work vs. Play The hectic schedule of modern life has thrust heavy pressure upon people of all segments which has resulted in unnecessary stress and strain in everyone’s daily life. Today most of the people are seen workaholic or bound to be in same condition either to meet the both ends or to meet the assigned career goals. The scurry and scramble of modern life and changing organizational strategies offer us little time for play/recreation which in fact has a pivotal role in our lives. To illustrate this assertion the lives of military contractors would be an excellent example where the balance between work and play/recreation is not found in a justifiable ratio. In this paper I raise the issue how the balance between work and play directly or indirectly influences all spheres of one’s social life. It further discusses what must be the balance between work and play in one’s chosen career. General concepts and definition People generally use the terms play, leisure and recreation interchangeably to explain how they spend their free time. Although these words stand for the relief from work, each word is slightly different in its actual meaning. Researchers have attempted to define these three according to their own perceptions. In the opinion of our puritan forefathers, “recreation is something that restores a person to better work and service whereas amusement left people wasted and exhausted because amusement was pleasure for pleasure sake” (Gini, 2006 p.50). According to Torkildsen (2005), Play is freely chosen activity indulged in for its own sake and it exhibits childlike characteristics of joy, spontaneity, and self expression whereas recreation is usually thought of as leisure time activity tend to be more organized. He thinks that leisure can be considered as time, activity, experience or state of being. Here in this paper I would simply consider this three in one concept as play, since my objective is to state the importance of balance between work and play in an individual’s career life. Therefore, according to my view, play/recreation is an activity that helps people revitalizes their potentiality at work. Why is play important to military contractors? Play is not merely a juvenile concern; instead it has a considerable role in determining the quality of life and personality of an individual. Incessant work only helps labors go exhausted whereas leisure or recreation can invigorate them. When an individual starts thinking that his task is drudgery, it will affect the level of his performance and efficiency. Military contracting is a fast growing industry these days. Though the occupation is extremely stressful and includes physical and mental challenges, many youth are being attracted by the high pay it offers. Thirty to thirty five companies, mostly run by military officers, dominate the Pentagon’s list of contractors today (Harington C.J, 2005). In my opinion, military contractors stand at the verge of high occupational hazards. The troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq is the best example. Although they are provided with certain recreation and entertainment facilities, evidently the play/recreation is not par to the task they undertake. The turmoil can be averted to a great extent if they are given sufficient time to involve in some sorts of recreation/play. The logic is rational because no one can offer one’s concentration and full effort in a particular work for a long time. As the time passes the incessant training and warfare fatigue them and only a break (play) can revitalize the men to the same level. “Work should be temporary, and as we rest in the one, we are to cease from the other” (Bushnell, 1864). The time meted out for work and play in troops seems to be imbalanced and in addition major part of their attention is being paid for dealing with present issues. It would affect the individuals as well as the military preparedness. Play as a physical requirement Play becomes an essential physical need for people who spend much of their time engaged in sedentary jobs. They require some physical activity to maintain good health, and play/recreation can help them stimulate hearts and lungs and enhance the respiratory system. It also lowers cholesterol level in the body and thus enhances immunity. In other words play is the simplest way to enhance one’s quality of life. The frantic programs of modern life and over reliance on technology have intensified unhealthy lifestyle. People tend to rely on fast food and restaurant food. Children who spend more time indoors playing computer games and youngsters who stay desk bound are vulnerable to illness. Hence play/recreation has become an unavoidable activity for people of all ages to overcome these health hazards. Play/recreation for intellectual relief As far as I am concerned, people with better sense of humor and cheer are found better at work. The theory is more applicable in the case military contractors. They are expected to put their genuine concern on their duty as vigorously as they can. Apparently it is difficult for a person to keep himself pleasing and active for the whole day. His level of performance will run down gradually until he utilizes some time for recreation. The play/recreation would give him enough time for introspection. The case is similar with other professionals such as sales executives, teachers, doctors and engineers who spend much energy for intellectual works and shoulder a lot of responsibilities. To illustrate, a lawyer who is exhausted after a grueling hearing in law court obviously requires play/recreation because it will help him gain strength and find his work interesting. This must be the reason why those professionals tend to gather in clubs and parks in their leisure time which obviously is a reasonable action. Workers are not solely concerned with economic needs and material comfort; moreover they are likely to be more responsive to the influence of colleagues than to attempts of management to control them by material incentives. (Tyson &York A., 2000). Psychological aspects In addition to physical and intellectual significance play/recreation has psychological aspect too. Professionals like police officers and military contractors who run for social and political security, hardly get free time and presumably feel a secluded life. If they were given enough time for play they could be more audacious and organized. Moreover play time would enhance interpersonal relationship and make them feel that they are also the vital part of society. Work-play: organizational behavior Many of the military contracting agencies today tend to follow a system of replacing the individuals with new skilled and potential candidates according to their requirements. The workers who find difficulty to weather the crisis leave the scene getting frustrated. Organizational ethics or intrinsic values are little considered in the case of military contractors. The forces tend to retain only those individuals who are ready to work relentlessly for them. This hire and fire tendency has its own adverse effects on those individuals. To my hunch, the labors will gradually lose their commitment and faith in the organization they are working with, because the further contribution of a worker is highly influenced by the intrinsic reward derived from his present efforts. The work and play balance in a person’s life is a delicate element that can be easily disturbed; and therefore if a company interprets how and when the employees should work, they can meet their personal needs and obligations as well as their professional commitments (Sisodia, Wolfe B. & Sheth N., 2007). Therefore, in order to ensure the work and play balance in the lives of military contractors, the team that designs the incentives and reward strategy must consider all possible motivating factors that would eventually contribute to the overall growth of the individuals by accomplishing the intended mission. I have seen people who work under the scorching sun and in extreme cold usually look frail and exhausted by the end of the day. What might be the further cheering factors for them other than involving in some recreational activities? Such mere recreation/play would help them gather energy and confidence to exude in the following day’s effort. Work and play is something we will have to live with. Work alone will exhaust us and play alone will let us get bored. How much time we should play depends on the nature of our works. Unfortunately people in general are reluctant to evaluate the balance between work and play in their lives. If it was done they could have identified the unfair proportion of both which must be the major problem that perturbs their comfort. Conclusion To sum up, most of the difficulties people confront with in their lives are caused by the paucity of play/recreation. Dealing with those difficulties needs enough patience to examine the balance between work and play in their daily life. Individuals must be willing to admit and correct the inaptness of ‘play’ in their profession. This method is worth relevant not only for professionals but also for every common man. It would give an insight to the individuals to understand themselves and therefore to choose their right way. When we start maintaining a reasonable balance between work and play we can see our jobs extremely satisfying. References Bushnell (1864). Work and Play: Our Literary Verities. Charles Scribner (pub). Harvard University Press (original). Viewed 17 May 2009 Gini (2006). The Importance of Being Lazy: in Praise of Play, Leisure and Vacations. Illustrated edn. Taylor & Francis p.50 Harington C.J. (2005). The Challenges to Power. Illustrated edn. Charles Green Publishing p.43 Sisodia, Wolfe, & Sheth N. (2007).Firms of Endearment: The Pursuit of Purpose and Profit. Warton School Publishing, p.79 Torkildson G. (2005). Leisure and Recreation Management. Illustrated edn.5, Routledge, pp.119-120 Tyson & York (2000). Essentials of HRM, illustrated edn.4, Elsevier p.13 Read More