Overview
2008 - 2010
In Japan, corporations play an important role in creating a society that values a work-life balance (WLB), and the goal of this research was to determine the problems that corporations face when introducing and implementing WLB policies and to examine necessary measures to resolve these issues. We analyzed the policies and the current state of corporations and the workplace in Japan by comparing them to systems and policies in Europe and the U.S. and conducted surveys and interviews of corporations and other entities in England, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Using this data that makes international comparisons possible, we conduct an empirical study of the present state and issues related to WLB in Japan, which we then tie to important proposals.
June 18, 2008 - March 31, 2011
Major Research Results
2010
RIETI Discussion Papers
- 11-E-024
"Firm's demand for work hours: Evidence from multi-country and matched firm-worker data" (KURODA Sachiko and YAMAMOTO Isamu) - 11-J-040
"Work-Life Balance in Sweden: Working in a flexible and autonomous manner" (TAKAHASHI Mieko) - 11-J-039
"WLB in the UK: Present situation and challenges for national and corporate initiatives, suggestions for Japan" (YAJIMA Yoko) - 11-J-038
"Work Life Balance Programs at Workplaces in the US" (KUROSAWA Masako) - 11-J-037
"Working Hours and Satisfaction: A comparative analysis of Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany" (ASANO Hirokatsu and KENJOH Eiko) - 11-J-033
"Preferred Work Hours of Japanese, UK, and German Workers: Estimating labor supply elasticity based on hypothetical questions" (KURODA Sachiko and YAMAMOTO Isamu) - 11-J-032
"Do Work-Life Balance Policies Increase a Firm's Total Factor Productivity?: Evidence from panel data of Japanese firms" (YAMAMOTO Isamu and MATSUURA Toshiyuki) - 11-J-031
"Human Resources Management and Effective Function of WLB Policies: A cross-national comparison of influence on workplace productivity" (MATSUBARA Mitsuyo) - 11-J-030
"Work Life Balance in the Netherlands: Flexible working hours and a flexible working place" (KENJOH Eiko) - 11-J-029
"Corporate and Workplace Challenges for Work-Life Balance" (TAKEISHI Emiko) - 10-J-049
"Firms are Creating Negative Stereotypes of Female Employees: Theoretical analyses of two kinds of self-fulfilling prophecies and their counter measures" (YAMAGUCHI Kazuo)
