| Abstract | |
| Survey Number | 1281 |
| Survey Title | Job-consciousness Survey of Japanese FDI Factory in Mexico, 2005, 2011 |
| Depositor | Y. Kiyokawa, H. Oba |
| Restriction of Use |
For detailed information, please refer to 'For Data Users' on the SSJDA website.
- Apply to SSJDA. SSJDA's approval is required. |
| Educational Purpose | Available for both research and instructional purposes. |
| Period of Data Use Permission | One year |
| Access to Datasets | Download |
| SSJDA Data Analysis | Not available |
| Summary |
Due to the stagnation of the Japanese economy since the end of the 20th century and the declining trend observed in workforce numbers, the Japanese labor practices of the past, such as long-term employment and seniority-based wage systems, have had to be reconsidered. Additionally, so-called "Japanese management" practices are generally viewed negatively. Specifically, it is widely held that it is difficult and inappropriate to transplant the "Japanese management style” from homogeneous Japanese society, where it has been shown to function effectively, into other countries through foreign direct investment. Is "Japanese management" insufficiently rational and universal to be worthy of overseas transfer? Does it lack the flexibility to adapt to different cultures? The main task of this study is to answer these questions provisionally. The essence of "Japanese-style management" is to form a "motivated workforce" using various labor management measures. However, since it is generally difficult to directly measure work motivation, this study adopts an indirect measurement method, that is, surveying the work attitudes of managers and employees and combining the constructs obtained from the survey to judge the success or failure of the transfer of "Japanese management" to a cross-cultural society. The main task of this study is to analyze the success or failure of the transfer of the management of Maekawa Manufacturing, a manufacturer of industrial refrigeration equipment, from a Japanese plant to a plant in Mexico. For this purpose, a job awareness survey was administered in 2005 and 2011 at the company's Mexican plant located in Cuernavaca, 70 kilometers south of Mexico City. Immediately before leaving for Mexico to administer the 2005 survey, a similar survey on job attitudes was also conducted at the Moriya Plant in Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture. The content of the latter survey was almost identical to facilitate direct comparison with the Japanese context. |
| Data Type | quantitative research: micro data |
| Universe | Managers and employees at Maekawa Manufacturing’s Moriya plant (Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture) and the Mexico plant (Cuernavaca City) |
| Unit of Observation | Individual |
| Sample Size |
［2005, Japan plant] 50 * Total number of employees: 394 ［2005, Mexico plant] 51 * Total number of employees: 145 ［2011, Mexico plant] 69 (including 24 respondents from the 2005 survey) * Total number of employees: 169 |
| Date of Collection |
2005 ~ 2011 2005, 2011 |
| Time Period |
2005 ~ 2011 |
| Spatial Unit | ibaraki Mexico Maekawa Manufacturing’s Moriya plant (Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture), Maekawa Manufacturing’s Mexico plant (Cuernavaca City) |
| Sampling Procedure | Probability: Simple random The sample was randomly selected using random number rolls and tables based on a list of managers and employees Maekawa Manufacturing provided as a frame. The total sample size was limited to about 30%–40% of middle managers and regular employees to avoid interfering with the business’ operations, and the number of interviews was slightly increased so that the survey could be completed in one day. |
| Mode of Data Collection |
Face-to-face interview
Interviews were conducted in a questionnaire-based format. The Spanish version of the questionnaire was used in the field survey. The Japanese version was first translated into Spanish by a graduate student studying at the National University of Mexico and then back-translated by Mexican graduate students. In the case of the 2005 survey, the interviewers were Mexican graduate students, and in the case of the 2011 survey, English-speaking Mexican housewives with some surveying experience were solicited to conduct the survey through the JETRO Mexico office. In both cases, the persons administering the surveys received a full day of training on how to read the questionnaire, explain the content, and apply the interview method. |
| Investigator | Y. Kiyokawa, H. Oba |
| DOI | 10.34500/SSJDA.1281 |
| 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 |
Japan plant [ Questionnaire ] Mexico plant [ Spanish questionnaire ・ Japanese questionnaire ] |
| Major Survey Items |
(1) Basic information about the interviewees ・Gender ・Number of years of service, year in which employment commenced, work history, and occupation ・Housing type, place of birth, and father's occupation ・Age, year of birth ・Religion, educational background, employment conditions, and monthly salary ・Marital history, number and age of children, number of cohabitating family members, number of family members who are working, main income earner, and total monthly family income (2) Job satisfaction, etc. ・Job satisfaction (nature of job, wages, holidays/working hours, availability of welfare, bonuses/allowances, and interpersonal relations in the workplace) ・Intention to continue working until retirement ・Whether the respondent desires their own job for their children ・Respondent’s pride in their job and the company where they work ・Preferences for promotion and salary increase ・Respondent’s views on what constitutes a "good job" ・How the respondent uses their discretionary income (salary surplus after necessities) ・Preferences regarding benefits and welfare ・Whether respondent's closest friends are also their coworkers ・Aspects of life the respondent views as the most important ・Need for skills and experience at work ・Whether the respondent prefers hourly or piecemeal wages ・Whether respondent would leave their current job if they received a higher-paying offer for the same job ・Respondent’s desired job (3) Sense of belonging, etc. ・How respondent views current job ・Whether the respondent would prefer to earn additional income or go home on time ・Whether the respondent wants to be reassigned to a factory ・Respondent’s views on who should fill in for an employee who is on a short leave of absence ・Perceptions of gender equality ・Respondent’s views on whether managers and workers should eat in the same cafeteria ・Necessity of wearing uniforms and holding/attending morning meetings and factory-wide recreational activities ・Respondent’s views on the company’s main objective ・Whether the respondent perceives a need to share new information and knowledge with coworkers ・The most important criteria for evaluating a person in the respondent’s view ・Respondent’s views on Japanese companies’ tendency to consider diligence a virtue (4) Skills, technology, and quality awareness ・Respondent’s views on the most important qualities a business manager should possess ・Respondent’s views on whether it is better to stay in the same workplace for a prolonged period in order to become more skilled ・The most important aspect of introducing new equipment or dealing with technological innovation in the respondent’s view ・Respondent’s intentions in the event of the adoption of cutting-edge machinery/equipment ・Respondent’s attitude toward product and quality inspection ・Introduction of a QC circle system ・Recognition of the purpose and function of the QC circle system ・Most crucial aspect to further increase proficiency and enhance skills in the respondent’s view ・Effectiveness of introducing foreign machines ・Respondent’s evaluation of the labor union's efforts to improve productivity ・Respondent’s views on whether increasing production volume or improving quality is more important for improving the management of the factory ・Most important factor for quality improvement in the respondent’s view ・Reasons for continuing to work ・Who the respondent consults about workplace problems (5) Social awareness and supplementary questions ・Most important occupation in society in respondent’s view ・Most important factors in skill development in respondent’s view ・Respondent’s views on factory policies ・Pros and cons of introducing competition into work ・Respondent’s preference for inter-individual vs. inter-group competition ・Respondent’s evaluation of seniority-based wage systems and lifetime employment systems ・Respondent’s views on length of service as a criterion for promotion ・Respondent’s overall evaluation of the current wage system ・(Dis)approval of the idea that wages should be determined according to educational level (academic background) ・Most important qualities a good factory manager should possess ・Support for or opposition to the opinion that managers and supervisors should be selected from among the company’s existing employees ・Person who plays a key role in communication between managers and employees ・Frequency at which the respondent receives direct technical guidance from superiors ・Frequency at which the respondent has conversations or meals with superiors outside the office ・(Dis)approval of top-down decision making ・(Dis)approval of the opinion that middle managers have a bottom-up role ・Whether making proposals for reforming production activities in accordance with the "proposal system" is valued at the respondent’s workplace ・Respondent's perception of whether their suggestions for improving productivity would be accepted ・Issues related to the Mexican economy about which the respondent feels strongly ・Respondent’s views on whether the so-called "Japanese management style" can be transferred to Mexico |
| Date of Release | 2020/03/05 |
| Topics in CESSDA |
Click here for details Employment Working conditions TRADE, INDUSTRY AND MARKETS Business/industrial management and organisation |
| Topics in SSJDA | Employment/Labor |
| Version | 1 ： 2020-03-05 |
| Notes for Users |