University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0314
Survey Title Survey on Changes in the Japanese-style Human Resources System, 2001
Depositor Japan Productivity Center
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Educational Purpose Only available for research.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
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Summary This survey is built upon the "Survey on the lifetime employment system" (1992), "Survey on the introduction of an annual salary system" (1993/96) and "Survey on the introduction of a discretionary labor system" (1994) conducted by the Japan Productivity Center in the past.
This is the sixth survey that has been conducted annually since 1997 as the "Survey on Changes in the Japanese-Style Human Resources System."

During the era of rapid economic growth, lifetime employment practices created a cycle that promoted corporate growth. However, with the rapid progress of internationalization and the aging society during the 1990s in particular, this cycle has reversed and the cost of labor has increased, placing a heavy burden on companies.

Against this backdrop, the purpose of this survey was to continuously investigate the transformation of Japanese companies’ human resources management systems, with a focus on whether companies are willing to maintain lifetime employment practices in the future, and how the targets and content of lifetime employment practices may change.

The main survey items address the following:
(1) Awareness of lifetime employment practices, etc.
(2) Professional qualification system and introduction of merit-based salary, etc.
(3) Job/role grading system and introduction of job/role salary, etc.
(4) Achievement-based personnel treatment system represented by annual salary system
(5) Utilization of competencies
(6) Actual conditions of the goal management system and the evaluation system
(7) Introduction of various personnel treatment systems (retirement benefits wage addition system, internship system, cafeteria plan, etc.)
Data Type quantitative research: micro data
Universe Human resources and labor relations personnel of 2,547 listed companies (as of September 2001)
Unit of Observation Organization
Sample Size Responding companies: 339 (response rate: 13.3%)
Date of Collection 2001-10 ~ 2001-11
Mid-October to early November 2001
Time Period 2001 ~ 2001
Spatial Unit
Sampling Procedure
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Surveys were collected by mail or fax
Investigator Japan Productivity Center
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0314
Sponsors (Funds)
Related Publications (by the Investigator) Please refer to the abstract in Japanese.
Related Publications (based on Secondary Analysis) List of related publications (based on Secondary Analysis)
Documentation Questionnaire
Major Survey Items Questionnaire items:
(1) Awareness of the future personnel system, etc.
Hiring policy (new graduate hiring or mid-career hiring, occupation type restrictions/specialty at the time of joining the company, school recommendation-oriented or aptitude/ability-oriented, OJT/Off-JT training or new graduate dispatch use), early selection of next-generation executive candidates/development policy and obstacles, status of personnel treatment system (seniority-based promotion/meritocracy/performance-based promotion)
(2) Annual salary system
Introduction status of annual salary system, rank of the annual salary system’s target group, operation status, market price reference when setting annual salary, effect of introduction, problems
(3) Department performance reflection type treatment system
Whether divisional performance is reflected in wages and bonuses/future intentions, target divisions, target audiences, issues/problems
(4) Goal management system
Introduction status of goal management system, operation status, process evaluation toward achieving the goal, problems with making process an evaluation target
(5) Multifaceted observation (evaluation) system
Introduction status, target person, multi-faceted observation (evaluation) of target person, aim of system introduction, multi-faceted observation (evaluation) item setting method
(6) Competencies
Status of utilization of competencies in the personnel system, utilization method, reason for utilization, issues with introduction/utilization
(7) Complaint/opposition system for evaluation/assessment
Existence of system/intention to introduce system, content of system, ease of filing, thoughts on how to handle complaints/dissent, trend indicated by the number of complaints over the past three years, existence of cases where evaluation results have been reviewed
(8) Early retirement incentive system
Introduction status, year of introduction, eligible age, eligible years of employment, operation status, implementation and effect of the timed voluntary retirement incentive system
(9) Introduction status of various personnel treatment systems
Year-round recruitment, internship system, temporary staffing for referrals, job-specific recruitment, in-house recruitment system, in-house FA system, discretionary labor system (predetermined labor type), new discretionary labor system (for planning work), double-line personnel system (specialty job system), work location limitation system, job-specific wage system, invention incentive system, career counseling, stock options, cafeteria plan, retirement benefits prepayment (additional salary) system, point-type retirement benefits system, mandatory retirement age policy for company officers, job change support system, extension of mandatory retirement age, telework (working from home, etc.), business headquarters system, in-house branch/company system, holding company system
(10) Defined contribution pension plan
Status of introduction/intention, problems with introduction/operation

Face items:
Business details, number of regular employees, wage (basic salary) composition, performance compared to other companies in the same industry
Date of Release 2004/02/06
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Employment
Labour relations/conflict
Working conditions
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Version 1 : 2004-02-06
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.