University of Tokyo

Abstract
Survey Number 0951
Survey Title Survey conducted with a View to Developing Methods of Securing and Fostering Human Resources who will Create Jobs in Japan, 2013
Depositor Employment Policy Division, Employment Security Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Restriction of Use For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' at SSJDA website.

- Apply to SSJDA. SSJDA's approval required.
Educational Purpose Only available for research.
Period of Data Use Permission One year
Access to Datasets Download
Nesstar Not available
Summary The societal and economic structures of our country regarding employment are in flux because of factors that include a shrinking market caused by population decline in the society based on falling birth rates, aging of the populace, and the negative effects of price wars with Asian countries and other emerging nations.

Amidst these circumstances, the vitalization of the small- to medium-size businesses that comprise nearly 99% of the companies of this country is an indispensable step in the process of putting our country's economy back on a sustainable growth trajectory.

In small- to medium-size companies, in order to survive and to deal with the expansion of markets abroad, some companies attempt to take their own operations abroad. However, many more companies lack sufficient quantitative or qualitative human resources to achieve this goal, while some are incapable of accommodating overseas needs. Finally, the process of project promotion to take a company abroad can unearth new issues among some small- to medium-sized companies.

This survey targets companies and laborers with overseas business experience and focuses on the small- to medium-scale companies that not only support the bulk of the employment in this nation but also have the potential to create new jobs; its objective is to clarify the factors that govern the development and retention of human resources that can definitively till and harvest overseas markets.
Data Type quantitative research
quantitative research: micro data
Universe [Company survey]
3,000 companies that have expanded their business overseas

1. 980 companies with less than 300 employees or with assets of less than 300 million yen
2. 2,200 companies with more than 300 employees or with assets of more than 300 million yen

[Laborer survey]
Requested 1,450 subjects that fulfill the conditions below out of the 26,871 monitors registered to a net survey company to participate

a. Had first experience working abroad after 1990. Furthermore, those that had been sent abroad temporarily before 1980 and then continued their work abroad after 1990 were also included. However, those with experience in overseas training, studying abroad, or overseas traineeship were excluded.
b. Over a year of continuous overseas work experience. However, those with experience in overseas training, studying abroad, or overseas traineeship were excluded.
c. Those whose overseas dispatch site was not at an overseas company.
d. Those whose overseas dispatch company was not involved in governmental affairs.
e. Non-full-time employees, including unemployed, self-employed, freelance, and part-time workers were excluded.
Unit of Observation Individual,Organization
Sample Size [Company survey]
Number of questionnaires distributed: 3,000, number of responses: 422, response rate: 14.1%

[Laborer survey]
Number of requests: 1,450 people, number of responses: 1,049 people, response rate: 72.3%
Date of Collection 2013-10 ~ 2013-11
[Company survey]October – November 2013[Laborer survey]November 1, 2013
Time Period 2013 ~ 2013
Spatial Unit
Sampling Procedure Non-probability: Quota
[Company survey]
In light of the objective of this survey, we prioritized distribution of surveys to small- to medium-scale businesses.

A companies: 980 companies identified by the Toyo Keizai Shinpo "Overseas Advancement Companies 2013" CD-ROM as having assets of less than 300 million yen (all companies)
・No information on employee numbers was available, so sampling was done using assets.
・Companies from all industries were taken

B companies: After preferentially sampling companies from Tokyo Shoko Research that met the below criteria, we randomly sampled companies that had extended their business overseas, including large businesses.
・We eliminated companies that would fall into the A category above, and in accordance with the industry type proportions of the remaining companies, we randomly selected 2,200.
a Domestic companies with overseas offices
b Small- to medium-size companies (companies with less than 300 million yen in assets)
c Companies with more than 50 employees
Mode of Data Collection Self-administered questionnaire: Paper
Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)
[Company survey]
Distributed and collected by mail

[Laborer survey]
Web questionnaire survey using monitors registered to a net survey company
Investigator Toray Corporate Business Research, Inc.
DOI 10.34500/SSJDA.0951
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 [Company survey]
(1) Status of overseas business expansion
(Presence/absence, number of offices, date of founding) of overseas child companies, affiliated companies, and offices
(Country, region, industry type, number of employees, overseas expansion stage, presence/absence of labor unions, number of individuals in each capacity (Japanese, native to country of location, from neither Japan nor the site country)) of primary child companies, affiliate companies, and offices
Personnel dispatched to overseas child company/affiliate company/offices(natives/overseas transplants in management levels, specialized/technical work, and managerial positions)

(2) Status of efforts related to development of overseas human resources
Presence/absence of training/efforts for overseas human resources
Implementation method/time of primary training
Effective training and efforts
Important abilities and necessary factors for smooth accomplishment of business at the overseas location (management level, specialized/technical work, managerial positions)
Feeling of inadequacy of overseas human resources
Issues with development of overseas human resources
Practical status of duties expected of overseas human resources

(3) Hiring status of foreigner human resources
Presence/absence of full time employee hires
Hiring objectives

(4) With regards to future overseas business expansion
With regards to your interests in overseas expansion over the next three years, what are the countries/regions you would like to expand into, as well as the countries/regions you are particularly interested in
Functions of countries and regions you would like to expand to, functions you are particularly interested in
Future employee plans

(5) Guidelines and state of hiring management
Hiring guidelines, guidelines for skill development, important educational training

(6) Support from public agencies, etc., for the development and retention of overseas human resources for your company
Things you expect from public agencies, etc.

(7) Face items
Headquarters address, industry in which you have the highest profits, year the company was founded, presence or absence of affiliated child companies, number of employees (including child/affiliate companies), percentage of non-full-time workers, presence/absence of labor unions, presence/absence of non-regular employees' membership in a union, gross total sales for the last fiscal year (including affiliates), proportion of sales that are overseas, current status compared to three years ago (sales, ordinary income, employee number), percentage growth in sales over the last three years (compared to other companies in the same industry)


[Laborer survey]
(1) First overseas dispatch site (country/region)

(2) About the child company/affiliated company/office that first sent you abroad, the dispatch company, and your current place of employment
Industry, number of employees, year of founding, presence/absence of labor unions

(3) About the child company/affiliated company/office that first sent you abroad
CEO nationality
Stage of overseas expansion
Nature of new appointment
Functions/activities
Number of years of service at the dispatching company just before being sent on your new appointment
Time at which you were first sent abroad
Supervisor's nationality immediately after being transferred abroad
Nature of dispatch from your dispatching company
Business you were responsible for at your new location, number of subordinates

(4) Regarding the situation just before you were first sent abroad
Primary job (work type) in Japan, number of subordinates
Presence/absence of training/efforts before being transferred abroad, training/effort that took the most time, time taken, effect
Training/efforts you should have participated in before being sent abroad, training/efforts you participated in at your overseas location

(5) Regarding the business accomplishment situation at your first overseas transfer site and necessary skills
Accomplishment of duties at your transfer site
Reasons you did/did not accomplish your duties
Abilities necessary for smooth accomplishment of duties at your transfer site
Support from your company
Whether you have returned from your first overseas appointment
Satisfaction with treatment received after returning home

(6) Face items
Gender, age, length of service, official position, experience of working abroad-number of times/years,experience of changing jobs, number of job changes, experience of living abroad after enrollment in elementary school/number of years

*For details on survey items, please refer to the questionnaire.
Date of Release 2014/12/02
Topics in CESSDA Click here for details

Employment
Business/industrial management and organisation
Topics in SSJDA Employment/Labor
Version 1 : 2014-12-02
Notes for Users Variable and value labels are written in Japanese.