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This lecture explores the historical development, legal aspects, and considerations of the Japanese employment system, including topics such as long-term employment practice, seniority system, industrial relations, and more. Discover the challenges and differences in HR management between regular and non-regular workers.
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Human Resource Management Keiichiro HAMAGUCHI
CONTENTS OF LECTURE ON HUMAN RESOUCE MANAGEMENT (WINTER 2007 HAMAGUCHI) • Chapter 1: Japanese Employment System 2007/04/02 13:20 • Chapter 2: Historical Development of Japanese Employment System • Section 1: Long-Term Employment Practice 2007/04/09 13:20 • Section 2: Seniority System 2007/04/16 13:20 • Section 3: Industrial Relations 2007/04/23 13:20 • Chapter 3: Legal Aspects of Japanese Employment System • Section 1: Employment Contract and Work Rules 2007/05/07 13:20 • Section 2: Recruiting and Hiring 2007/05/14 13:20 • Section 3: Retirement and Dismissals 2007/05/21 13:20 • Section 4: Assignment, Transfers and Disciplinary Action2007/05/28 13:20 • Section 5: Wage System and Working Hours 2007/06/04 13:20 • Section 6: Trade Union and Labor-Management Consultation2007/06/11 13:20 • Section 7: Regular Workers and Non-Regular workers 2007/06/18 13:20 • Section 8: Male Workers and Female Workers 2007/06/25 13:20 • Chapter 4: Considerations on Japanese Employment System2007/07/02 13:20 • Examination 2007/07/09 13:20
1 The Essence of Japanese Employment System:The Nature of Employment Contract
Employment Contract without “Job” • The “3 imperial treasures” of Japanese employment system are said to be: -Long-term employment practice, -Seniority-based wage system and -Enterprise-based trade unions. • But the essence of it lies in the nature of employment contract.
Generally, job should be defined clearly in the employment contract. • In Japan, job is not specified in the employment contract. It is up to the order by the employer. • Employment contract is a “blank slate” in which particular jobs should be wrote each time. • Employment in Japan is not “job” but “membership.”
(2) Characteristics of the Japanese Employment System • In the job-based society, if the job is lost, the workers can be dismissed. • In Japan, the employer must transfer the workers to other jobs to avoid dismissals. • Top priority is the maintenance of membership. • In the job-based society, wages should be determined with the job (equal pay for equal work principle).
In Japan, wages are generally determined with length of service and age (apart from job). • But actual wage levels are determined with performance evaluation which covers most workers. • In the job-based society, collective bargaining is carried out at sectoral level. • In Japan, bargaining should be carried out at company level because wages are determined at the level.
(1) Employment Management • At the entry stage, companies hire new graduates simultaneously on 1st April (new graduate regular hiring system). • The authority to hire lies not with line manages but with personnel department. • At the exit stage, workers are excluded from the company based on their age (mandatory retirement system). • Between them, workers are transferred to another job periodically (job rotation system). They acquire skills via OJT.
(2) Remuneration Management • A sort of monthly salary system applies to both blue-collar and white-collar workers. • Seniority-based wages are generated by regular pay increase system. • Even blue-collar workers undergo performance evaluation, mainly on subjective factors. • Promotion in status is also remuneration. • Bonuses and retirement allowances are also based on seniority.
(3) Industrial Relations • Japanese trade unions are organizations representing all employees in the company. • Their main function is labor-management consultation. • Japanese collective bargaining focuses on raising the amount of pay increase.
(4) New Challenges • This system is applied to only regular workers. • HRM for non-regular workers is completely opposite to that for regular workers. • They are hired and dismissed occasionally by line managers, not transferred, not trained in-house, paid hourly based on labor market, not promoted, excluded from bonus and retirement allowance, denied membership of unions. In a word, they are not “members” of the company. • With the increase of young non-regular workers, these differences becomes social problems.