The Role, Nature and Purpose of Leisure and Its Contribution to Individual Development and Well-Being

This paper serves as an introduction to this issue focused on the importance of work-life balance. Developments at work, in organizations and in society at large are drawing attention to the importance of work-life balance. Work-life balance cannot be understood unless we continue to understand the role that leisure plays in this relationship. Leisure has been described as a coping resource and a coping strategy that has strong active and passive components. Its role as a coping strategy is, quite clearly from the papers presented, complex. This complexity should not be ignored, nor should researchers use this complexity to ignore the explanatory potential that resides in such a construct. Challenges exist for those wishing to research the role of leisure as a coping strategy. Challenges are also there for those wishing to further develop the role of leisure counseling and the knowledge that must be shared and developed by researchers and practitioners alike. There is also the challenge to better understand contextual issues and how they influence leisure attitudes. This understanding should focus not only on what may be described as more global issues like the changing nature of work and leisure but also focus at the level of the individual. Here the emphasis should be on exploring both those developmental processes that influence leisure attitudes and the way individuals assign importance to why they engage in leisure activities and how these reasons influence the role leisure is performing and the way different leisure activities are being used.