The Particular Features Of The Employment System In Japan
One of the unique and well known features of the Japanese employment system is permanent employment for workers. Japanese corporations responses to recessionary periods provide an opportunity to sort out the myths from the realities of the Japanese permanent employment system.
During recessions Japanese companies forced to reduce their costs achieve reductions in several ways. First, they reduce the number of women and temporary workers they employ. During the recession that followed the 1973 oil shocks female employment dropped by eleven percent; more then five times the drop in male employment. It was easy to reduce female employment because women even if they hold permanent positions are thought of as transitory workers who will leave the workforce when they get married. Female and temporary workers are a safety valve for Japanese companies that allow them to reduce costs in the short-term without firing permanent male workers. The second way Japanese companies reduce costs is by giving early retirement to senior workers at the company. Many of these workers forced into early retirement then take up farming as is the custom in Japan for retires. Getting rid of senior workers is one the most effective tools companies have of reducing costs because these workers have more seniority and thus make more money then the average worker. Japanese companies also are able to cut costs during recessions by reducing or eliminating bonuses paid to workers, cutting down on hiring of new workers, eliminating the farming out of work to subcontractors, transferring workers internally with in the company to subsidiaries, and reducing profit margins to levels that many American companies would find intolerable.
Japanese companies response to recessions shows the benefits and disadvantages of their employment system. Some of the benefits are that loyalty and labor relations are very good. This is due to the fact that for non- temporary male workers not yet near retirement age companies make a great effort to continue the permanent employment system even during recessions. Most young male workers once entering a company stay with it for their entire life and for them Japans permanent employment system serves them well. These workers come to view their company as almost a benevolent parent; the company leads them through fitness drills, training camps, and retreats. A workers identity is shaped not by their individual title but by the company they belong to.
Jeffrey Kingston. Japan in Transformation, 1952 – 2000. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2001. 230 pp.
Over the last decades social protection programs have been developed to mitigate damaging impacts from economic crises and individual setbacks. The role of social health protection has been particularly highlighted as a human right that safeguards the economic productivity of a healthy work force and serves as a social and economic stabilizer in times of crises (Adlung, X. & Sander, L., 2010). Kelly accepted her first job after graduating from her management program and relocated to Japan. Mr. Higashi was her immediate supervisor and mentored several of The Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) candidates. He definitely liked Kelly right away because she spoke fluent Japanese which set her apart from many of the current and past graduates. Each newly assigned JET employer signed an employment contract which set them apart from the Japanese workers in the office including key differences in work hours, Saturdays off and acknowledgement of the Japanese holidays. Many of the Japanese workers resented the recent graduates because they had these special considerations in their contract and did not have the same w...
how good a job they do they still get the same pay. In the US we have a
Historically, successful civilizations have tended to have constant economic growth. The civilization of China was not successful in the nineteenth century because it had a declining economy, while the civilization of Japan was successful in the same time period because it had a economic growth. As a result China was unable to focus on other key areas such as medical and technological advancements, native culture, and military conquests. Japan’s growing economy enabled it to innovate, grow their culture, and attain military power, all of which are measures of success. China was unable to grow socially and politically because they did not have economic growth.
culture as they become inactive in the workforce and do not have the finances to function as a useful participant
(Bendick, Brown & Wall, 1999). A new awareness of older workers has emerged as retiring
Meiji Restoration, refers to the 1860s Japan in under the impact of Western capitalist industrial civilization of, from top to bottom, with capitalist nature of the overall westernization and modernization reform movement [1].
Management is on the side of the employers, since many of those positions are unable to in the union
The subsequent paragraphs contain a general analysis as well as a description of the legal questions and principles that were raised in the age discrimination case of Mckinney v. University of Guelph. This case raised the issue of whether a company or organization (in this case, a post secondary institution for education) should have jurisdiction over the age at which an individual must retire. Additionally, this document contains an analysis of the laws of mandatory retirement and how they are still currently in effect in countries such as China. Along with the aforementioned is a description of how mandatory retirement is imperative to population management,
In the mid-nineteenth century, the Tokugawa system that had successfully reigned over Japan for over two hundred years was beginning to feel the internal and external pressures of a modern world; ultimately calling for a renewal of the world order (Yonaoshi) (Wilson, 59). That calling came when a series of black ships led by Commodore Perry landed off the port of Uraga on July 8, 1853. After over two centuries of seclusion, Japan was being pried open by Western forces, who though were in search of setting up trading posts in Japan, indirectly served as the catalyst that set off the series of events that helped Japan transcend its fixed and permanent system, into the modern era that was characterized by rapid political, economic, social and cultural change (Wilson, 52-53).
The Japanese culture has allowed for very little diversity. This started very early in their history. The social controls used to eliminate diversity are the family, the power of gender, the poor treatment of minority groups, the corporate Japanese mentality, and the respect required by people in authority. However, due to globalization and the shrinking of the world, Japanese society is starting to make the change to diversity. The individualistic mentality shared by the new technology driven younger generation is putting pressure on the old Japanese status quo. The transformation is happening very slow, but as the population ages and the old conservatives are being replaced by the new liberals, the old way of thinking is also being replaced by the new.
From the Meiji Restoration era, democratization efforts were undertaken to modernize Japan. A bicameral system of legislature as well as local, though unelected assemblies were created in the image of the Prussian model (Haddad, 2012, p. 50) and a Constitution placing absolute power with the monarch was formed. Although the main intention of the oligarchs behind the Constitution was to have the national Diet as an advisory body, they "created a series of 'transcendental cabinets' which answered to the Emperor" (Haddad, 2012, p. 50),
Japanese Management Style Japan was totally destroyed during the World War II but in less than 40 years Japan has risen from the ashes to world leadership in many areas of technology and business. This success is attributed to its unique managerial techniques. Some of the main characteristics that Japanese management have are: participative decision making, bottom-up management, lifetime employment, "amae-dependency relationships", lean production, total quality management, total cost management, and infrastructure support. Applying all these, have produced high levels of teamwork, an atmosphere of innovative ideas and a willingness to constantly improve. To take all these elements from the Japanese management and try to use them in the west as goals would probably be beneficial.
The Land of the Rising Sun, Japan, is an island located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Surrounded by water, this archipelago is nearly 71% mountainous. The climate of Japan is fairly consistent creating a long growing season. Because of these specific geographic features, Japan’s culture has been impacted greatly. One of the largest sources of protein, for the Japanese, is fish. This source of protein is gained through the help of specific geographic features. As well as their diet, their source of relaxation and tranquility is made possible. Finally, a large growing season is promising as well.
...rganization until the age of the 60 years old and it will showed the the better of the retirement age plan that affect from career advancement resulted from the high performance work system.